Lyra Riddle
by DAMNINEEDANAME
Summary: I have long lived a life of lies and betrayal. I am the Dark Lord's unknown daughter. My name is Lyra Riddle. And I seek the truth.
1. Foreword

**Foreword:**

Hey everyone! Welcome to another Fanfiction, in case you read any of my previous ones. Make sure to read my warnings because there will be Bellatrix and OC interaction (you know I love Bella!) however, this one will be a bit different. On any note, you don't have to read my previous FFs in order to understand this one. I'd be glad if you did, though! Enjoy your stay and please review every once in a while, that never demotivated anyone! 

**Timeline:** During Harry's final year.  
**Warnings:** non-con, Femmeslash, violence, s/D.  
All the characters, aside from my OCs, belong to J.K Rowling.

-

**Summary:**

I have long lived a life of lies and betrayal. I am the Dark Lord's unknown daughter. My name is Lyra Riddle. And I seek the truth.

Tom Riddle, commonly known as he-who-must-not-be-named did not know about the legacy he left behind seventeen years ago. But his past will catch up with him. When Lyra finds him, the true impact of her idea becomes something unforeseen, something dangerous. Some people are trying to take advantage of Lyra's state of condition, especially Bellatrix Lestrange developes a curious interest for the new girl that is Lord Voldemort's daughter.


	2. Lyra Riddle

Chapter 1: **Lyra Riddle**

**Prologue **

_A burning sensation rushed through my body when I woke up today. Nobody else knew but I did. My life would change. Everything would change. After the longest time, I have finally found enough courage to accept it. Was it not very interesting to think that I held change itself in the palm of my hands and all he had to do was to wait until I arrive? But how can somebody wait when there was nobody to be expected? And how long have I pushed it away, denied it, no, when I found out, I am not one of him, not one of them. How much time had passed ever since I first came across the idea that I, at some point, would finally stand in front of him. That I, at some point, would possibly look into his eyes, stand before HIM, would tell him the most shocking news that could ever reach his ears. I am very certain that he never knew about me, they told me, the man, Tom, never had a clue. Would he think I am a liar? Would he kill me on the spot? Would he stare at me or ignore me? Would he laugh at me? Kill me? Embrace me? I am a witch. I inherited his magical abilities._  
_I am the Dark Lord's daughter and he does not yet know._  
_My heart beats faster and faster as I go. England looks different. But I am ready. _  
_Ready to solve the riddle that is my life._

Lyra walked into the village covered in autumn leafs. Her dark eyes wandered around the black dyed scenery; it was beautiful. The coldness and sense of dread that the sky seemed to carry was not unwelcoming enough to make her leave abruptly, however, did not invite her to stay longer than needed. Freezing in the cold wind, Lyra made her way into a warm and cozy pub. All eyes turned to her when her cloak glided off of her body and she ignored the wolf-whistling that erupted with amused chuckling and the occasional "hey babe!"'s. She had feared this would come once her eyes fell through the yellow tinted windows outside before, but she was particularly surprised when she had to dodge a stranger trying to pull her closer by the waist.  
Lyra looked at him intensively, looked into his dull colorless eyes, and his devious smirk was replaced with instant blankness as he gulped. He let go of Lyra and she slowly turned her face away, choosing to sit by the lonely counter.

"What brings you in the Three Broomsticks this late, dear? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Asked a blond female as she casted a spell over her right without looking, causing the dishes to clean magically behind her back; the scrubbing was barely audible throughout the noise all around.  
"I am of age." Responded Lyra softly.  
"A butter beer, please." She added, then glanced around the pub with a bit more curiosity than before. It was dark, poorly lit and steamy. The smell of burnt fire came along with an odd mixture of whiskey, cigars and musk. The loud chattering only seemed to intensify the scent, the shrill laughter from a witch sitting on a wizard's knee caused Lyra to pay more attention to the beverage in front her once it was set down.

"Hey sweetheart. Would you like to have a drink, hm?" Asked an older male with a rough voice next to Lyra. She, however, did not glance at him, merely held up her glass, hoping he would find the indication enlightening enough to back away from her.

"No, a drink with me. I insist." He added. Lyra inhaled deeply but tried her best to ignore him; something that was proven rather unsuccessful.

"Hey. I am talking to you. I don't like being ignored, you know? Look at me, girl." And Lyra did. With a face of utmost annoyance, she looked at the man. Now that she saw his face, it made sense as to why his voice sounded so raspy. He had unkind, wrinkly features, a bold look and dark blond hair that was tied back firmly. His sturdy body was covered in black robes and two of his short, thick fingers tossed up in the air, ordering something.

"What is a pretty young witch like you doing here this late? During these dangerous times and all alone?" He asked with a grin as two small glasses with clear, red liquid appeared in front of them.

"Answering stupid questions." Responded Lyra indifferently, turning her face away once more, trying to finish the conversation this way but the stranger only chuckled.

"So fierce. I like them fierce. They make good...playmates." He clearly grinned with his last word, it was audible. Lyra rolled her eyes, tried to catch the female barkeeper's attention as she raised her hand but the woman was too busy taking orders from someone else. Clicking her tongue, Lyra stood up, hoping she would be seen; she thought about simply leaving some money on the counter but feared it was a bad idea with so many people around to steal it. Realizing that the blonde female was too busy to take any payments now, Lyra sat back down and exhaled deeply. Next to her, the unpleasant stranger grinned even more, now visible and obvious.

"Trying so hard to get away from me, Hm? You know, they always try that. But once they have spent a night with me, they barely want to leave. It's almost troublesome."

"I'll let you know once I'm sorry." Said Lyra coldly; the dislike for this man grew steadily, the noise around her appeared so much louder.

"Come, sweetheart. I know you need a place to stay. Stay with me. And I'll give you a night you won't forget."

"I'm already having one of those, thanks." Lyra tried again, shoving the small glass away that he pushed towards her. She heard his chuckle and hated it. Hated it so much. If only he knew, she thought. If only he knew whose daughter she was. He would never attempt any of this. Nobody would. A firm hand on her thigh caused Lyra's eyes to widen, her thoughts dissolved and were replaced with sheer hatred. Lyra glared at the man, her own hand rushed to his arm, trying to pry him off but with a swift move, he used this to turn his hand to the right, revealing a dark skull-like tattoo on the inside of his left arm for only her to see.

"Don't want this to get ugly, do you?" He asked, the smirk on his thin lips grew wider. He was sure he had her now. Lyra did not respond for a few seconds. Her eyes went from angrily narrowed to surprisedly wide, then narrowed again; narrowed in delight. She got up and smiled brightly, held his hands tightly as she declared.

"I will come with you!" The man could not have been more surprised, but he emptied the two drinks quickly, left some money on the counter and disappeared in thin air along with the girl, leaving excited chattering behind them.

Hungry lips crashed against Lyra's, she was pushed against a wall in the middle of what looked like a generously built living room; a large fireplace heated up the place, she noticed she stood on some furry carpet of an unknown magical creature. She pulled her face away from the man but his greedy mouth continued on her neck.

"Stop it!" Lyra growled and pushed him away, pulling out her wand. The man snorted lowly and rested against a black leather couch that he stumbled against, shaking his head.

"Now! Said you would come with me! Why be so obedient, do you, in the end, want this to get as ugly as I threatened it could?! Be a good girl! And maybe I won't be too rough!" He made attempts to come closer but Lyra's wand was aimed straight at him.

"Bring me to him." Lyra demanded.

"What? Who?" He asked bewildered, then frowned again until it hit him.

"The Dark Lord?! You want to see HIM? Now, even?! Tell me girl, are you out of your mind?" He laughed now, shaking his head in denial.

"Bring me to him. You were so good at threatening to use that tattoo of yours. Call him, whine to him how I don't want an old git like you to touch me. My reasons of meeting him can't be any more idiotic than yours." Lyra grinned.

"Why do you want to see him?" Demanded the man in front of her; he made attempts to grasp his wand but Lyra moved her arm quickly whenever he tried, causing him to stop.

"That is none of your business." She responded coldly.

"Not my business, she says. And that cheeky tone. Oh yes, I like it. I like you little girls, being so cheeky. Still yet, it is my business. You're probably one of those ever so loyal Potter-supporters, huh? You cannot win against the Dark Lord, he-"

"I do not want to fight him." Lyra said boldly. "I have no reason to fight him."

"No reason, hm? Then what? Want to join the group, don't you? Want to be a Death Eater? Hah. Yes, by the look of your face, that is exactly what. But what if I don't call him, girlie? Then what? You obviously need me. So might as well lower your wand and enjoy a fine night with me and maybe, maybe I will take you with me to our meeting tomorrow, what do you think? Oh I like them fierce, so fierce..." He grinned and with a sudden jolt, he pulled out his wand, aiming it straight at Lyra with the dirtiest grin he could muster. Lyra's eyes narrowed but she was one step ahead of him.

"Let's make another deal." Said Lyra. The man raised a single eyebrow, then nudged his chin ahead. "What deal?" He asked but did not yet lower his wand.

"I'm all yours once you brought me to that meeting and made sure that I can participate in it. Think of the unforgettable night that I will spend with you...willingly...it'd be so much more fun when both of us enjoy it..." Lyra watched him biting his bottom lip as she subtly ran a hand along her waist. He stepped from one leg to the other, then glared, shaking his head with furrowed eyebrows.

"How do I know you're not tricking me?!" He growled. Lyra, to demonstrate her sincerity, put her wand away and held up her hands.

"Take me now, while I'm defenseless. But it won't be the same fun when I want it too, want it while I'm so thankful that you have brought me closer to my goal of meeting the Dark Lord." She purred and lowered her forehead slightly; she almost looked innocent. The man bit on the knuckles of his fist now, he eyed her up and down, the pressure of his jaw grew more intense before he spluttered out.

"I really want to thoroughly enjoy you! And I will! I will. I don't like it when they struggle too much...ngh...fine. I'll introduce you to the group tomorrow. But you will have to give me your wand. Just in case you're trying to attack him. Be a nice girl until then..."

"I understand." Lyra said. She pulled out her wand and handed it over, without the least bit of fear of not receiving it back. He held the wood in his hands, stared at it, then looked back at her.  
"An unusual one, you are. What's your name, girl?"

"Lyra."

"Lyra." He repeated as he put the wand into his jacket and stared at her for some time.  
"I have a strange feeling I will remember your name." He said and she nodded with a grin.

"You will." Lyra said lowly. "You will..."


	3. The Confession

**Chapter 2: The Confession **

Lyra did not sleep this night. Not only was it difficult to ignore the male Death Eater, but it was almost impossible to shut off her brain that was continuing to think about the upcoming meeting. How could she possibly fall asleep knowing that she would see HIM so soon? How could she rest? She couldn't. Instead, Lyra insisted on sitting in the kitchen all night long, despite the man's invitations to his private chamber. With an amused glance, the Death Eater stepped into the kitchen and saw Lyra's head resting in her arms. He walked closer to her.

"Not asleep? So stubborn. Anyway. Good morning." He murmured and Lyra's eyes wandered over to him but she did not say anything.

"You did not sleep at all, did you?" He asked and started brewing some chestnut-tea; Lyra disliked the scent.

"No I didn't." She finally answered. "And you can loosen the locking charm around your house and the doors. I would not have come with you if I hadn't been sincere about wanting to meet him. Or were you just scared I'd change my mind and leave before you could have me?"

The man looked at her with an amused grin as he sipped on his tea, then sat down. He didn't feel obliged to answer but that was okay, it said enough. Lyra's eyes fell on his hand and with a snort and shook of her head she turned her face around.

"You're married. Congratulations. You must live a very fulfilled life to betray your wife." She hissed sarcastically but the man only laughed lowly.

"She's on a business trip. What I do in my marriage is not your business, sweetheart." He said simply once he sipped on his tea again but the ever so present grin showed on his lips and Lyra knew he liked to push her buttons just as much as she would've liked to push him out of a window.

"It is my business once I spread my legs for you and help you cheating. I didn't think the Dark Lord would accept people around him that can't spell the word 'loyalty' if their life depended on it." Lyra growled lowly but the man only laughed.

"I can't wait to have you up there, in my bed. You-"

"How did you know I didn't have another wand when you took mine yesterday?" Lyra interrupted. "How did you know that I wouldn't try to attack the Dark Lord? Is that how you all take precautions?"

"How I knew you wouldn't attack? My dear. You are beautiful." Responded the man. "Your magical abilities would have to be equal to your beauty and then we could talk about attacking the Dark Lord. You are young. You are no match, simply put."

Lyra huffed and crossed her arms before she snapped. "Well you didn't dare pull out your wand when I aimed mine at you. That's not the level of expertise I expect from a Death Eater standing before 'no match'."

The man laughed again, shaking his head with narrowed eyes; eyes narrowed in lust but his attention was all the girl's when she spoke again.

"And if you believed I was so weak, why would you let me meet him? Obviously I am not good enough to become a Death Eater then. Do you seriously forget about all those things. All of them...just to have sex with me? You're disgusting." She glared as she grumbled lowly, muttering something he couldn't understand but all he knew to do was to stare. He stared at her for the longest time.

"Indeed. That's how it is, sweetheart. All of it just to have you. So fierce..." He grinned, not bothering about the fact that he infuriated her. Lyra needed him and he was aware - that was all that counted.

"You know how to take advantage of a situation given, don't you? Do you, by any chance, work in a political field? I wouldn't wonder." Lyra asked and watched him raising his eyebrows in surprise. He sat down his teacup and nodded with a frown.

"Good, very good. I am the Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Call me Yaxley." He smirked now and Lyra glared.

"Is that so...?" She growled. "And obviously your department has been infiltrated by idiots like you. Otherwise you'd worry a bit more about the activities connected to your name and profession." She said sharply but blushed when her stomach rumbled quite audibly. Yaxley's smirk grew wider as he, without a comment, shoved the bowl of fruits over to her. Lyra crossed her arms and looked away out of the window but when she felt the second rumble preparing her embarrassment she reached out for an apple and ate it quietly while enduring the present mocking of Yaxley's grin.

"When can we finally see him?" Lyra asked hours later.

"I told you around seven in the evening." Said Yaxley as he scribbled on some parchment.

"But it's not only five ó clock in the afternoon yet!" Whined Lyra and crossed her arms, walking around back and forth in Yaxley's office. He did not look up to her for the longest time but when she said this, his attention seemed to be stirred.

"I would know something to do meanwhile..." He grinned and chuckled when Lyra only glared at him with her hands to her hips. His chuckle turned louder when he watched Lyra storming off somewhere else. But he knew she would come back. She did before. And before that.

"How exactly does...the meeting happen? I mean. Do you all just sit and chat? I couldn't imagine..." Asked Lyra thirty minutes later. Yaxley put his quill and ink away before he answered, he was quite sure he couldn't get to work while the girl was around.

"We only speak when asked something. Usually it's to exchange information. That's all you need to know." He said with a frown, not liking the fact too much that Lyra did not give away anything about herself but wanted to know everything. His eyes wandered up and down her body and his frown disappeared.

"Such a pretty child you are. Do you live on your own already?" He asked but he knew Lyra would not answer without a spiteful comment. And he liked it.

"Haven't you thought about the circumstance that you are much too old for me?"

"I heard you saying to Rosie that you were of age." Said Yaxley almost boredly.

"I have barely turned seventeen and all you freaks run after me like dogs in heat. Pathetic. As if a couple of months change anything about a person in that time..."

"It changes the law." Spoke Yaxley cooly and bit his bottom lip with a faint smirk. Once more, he watched how Lyra stormed off angrily again and, this time, did not return anymore.

"Hey beautiful. Get up. It's time to get ready." Said Yaxley as he knelt down to the girl's level. It took him quite some time to find her; he feared she could have gotten away somehow, his face already started to show trembling anger but it vanished once he spotted her. Lyra was resting in an armchair in the library.

"I'm...I'm awake." She answered gently and got up. Now she realized it again. She would meet him soon. Him. Her father. Her heart started beating faster suddenly and Yaxley seemed to notice.

"Now don't chicken out. I didn't endure your attitude to be told off in the end, got me?" Grumbled Yaxley. "And trust me, I have never done this before. I don't usually have to put so much effort in anything. As head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement I could simply-"

"Let's go." She cut him off and stood ready to leave. Yaxley merely narrowed his eyes. It looked like he couldn't decide whether to glare or grin. He chose the latter as he suddenly pulled her against herself tightly.  
"How dare you!" Lyra hissed and tried to wiggle free. Yaxley pulled her a bit tighter, he could feel her curves against her, then apparated away.

"Where are we?"  
"Follow me."  
"Where are we, Yaxley?!" Bellowed Lyra. Yaxley stopped in his tracks. With an unamused glance, he looked over to Lyra who was further behind. Both of them had appeared in the middle of a forest by night and Lyra was having trouble with the twigs that kept attaching to her body as she tried walking ahead.

"Stop laughing!" She hissed at the man and stumbled out of a root's grasp, ripping her elbow away from Yaxley as he tried to assist her when she almost fell down.

"Can't even apparate!" She grumbled as she walked ahead as if she knew the correct route. "And then he calls me 'no match'!"

"You're walking to the wrong direction, my sweet ranting pumpkin."

"Why didn't you apparate in front of the house?! And I am no sweet pumpkin!" She bickered, turned around and walked over to him.

"But you're ranting. Heh. Now come on. We're late already. And we didn't want to apparate right in front of the house because we don't want anyone to see a bunch of Death Eaters walking into the same building, do we?"

Lyra stopped and smiled in fake awe. "Wow! That must be about the first reasonable comment you made!" She cheered and laughed when Yaxley snorted and just grumbled something about how he could not wait to have her and repay her everything.

"That huge house over there. Is this where we are going?" Asked Lyra after a while.

"Exactly. Even though. We could not call it a house, really...Tsk...Lucius..." He wrinkled his nose and shook his head as the both of them walked over towards a gate. Now that they were so close to the building, Lyra thought that Yaxley was right. This was far from a house. It was almost a castle; a manor. Yaxley stretched his arm out before Lyra could see why, but he was holding her back that way. She wanted to ask him what was going on but as she looked ahead, she saw a hooded figure. Her fingers instantly reached to her wand but remembered that she didn't have it. Yaxley on the other hand, had his wand pointed ahead, then lowered it when he seemed to know who the stranger was.

"Snape."  
"Yaxley."

Both men nodded at each other and walked closer. Snape was a tall and pale man, hair that seemed not present in the night; it was as dark as the sky. He had an unwelcoming tinge to his figure, Lyra thought before Snape's dark eyes glued to her, again she wanted to say something but Yaxley was first.  
"She wants to become a Death Eater." He said. Snape simply looked at the girl in what seemed to be a degrading manner but he merely turned around without a comment and walked off with Yaxley. Lyra followed quietly all the way across the entranceway but when she reached the gate-like door, she stopped and could not budge. Was she out of her mind? Wanting to meet the most dangerous wizard of all times? Wanting to tell him that she was his daughter? Snape glanced at Lyra, raised an eyebrow and scoffed, turned away and walked ahead. Now Lyra was sure he was mentally degrading her.

"Come on, girl." Said Yaxley raspier as he held the door open. "Let's get going finally. I told you we're late already." He added.

"I..." Lyra inhaled deeply, she was scared. But she would never admit.  
"We had a deal." He informed her in an unamused way, his patience ran out. Lyra nodded and followed Yaxley inside, her legs felt like she was trying to run in water. He looked at her once more, saying. "We will go inside now. Only speak when asked to." He warned and she nodded.  
The door opened and Lyra thought she witnessed a funeral. There was this common knowledge that if you enter a room, you instantly notice its atmosphere and decide whether you liked it or not. A room was like a container, it stored everone's emotions. Lyra did not like this one. The feeling of dread and fear was lingering in the air. All attendants were sitting around one of the largest tables Lyra had ever seen. The room itself was almost dark, only the fireplace lit it up and all eyes turned to them on an instant.  
Tense. Everything was so tense.

"Late, Yaxley. But... In company, I see." Said a soft, vibrating voice. There he was. Lyra's heart was beating faster when those dangerous eyes rested on her. Lyra was barely prepared for this. The charming young man from the pictures was not here, still yet, Lyra knew that it used to be him. His pale skin almost shone in the darkness, his snake-like features gave him the look of something beyond human.

"Yes, my lord." Answered Yaxley with a slight bow; he pushed his hand to Lyra's back so she would do the same. 

"And why are you here, young woman?" Asked the silky voice. The girl started to freeze when she felt an ice cold hand on her chin; he was looking directly into her eyes. When did he even get up from his chair?

"I wish to serve you, my Lord." She said and hoped he would not ask anything else yet. Some silent chattering started to break out at that but nothing was audible enough.

"Heh. Be my servant...?" He asked and Lyra's heart started beating faster. He eyed her up and down carefully.

"We will see. You must be dear Draco's age." His eyes wandered over to a blond male. Lyra looked at him and saw that the guy glimpsing over to her but away again quickly, he seemed to be paying attention elsewhere. Lyra tried to see where he was looking at all the time and she found it. Her eyes widened when she saw a body floating above his head; a woman. Was she dead? Lyra swallowed her spit and turned her face away over to the Dark Lord. For the shortest second she even glanced at Yaxley and he looked back but nobody spoke while the Dark Lord walked around Lyra, inspecting her, it seemed.

"Sit." He demanded coldly and Lyra did; she sat down on the only free spot that was available next to a woman with dark and curly hair. The latter only glanced at Lyra, pulled her body further away from Lyra while her eyes were narrowed and she did not particularly seem to like the girl, grumbling something about too many children in their midst but Lyra could not shake off the feeling that there was another reason for her raw dislike.

"Now..." Said the cooing voice in the topmost front of the table. Lyra did not dare to look at him, she was scared, yet she knew she could not withdraw from her decision anymore. She had come all the way here, had not researched for months and months and months only to tuck in her tail and run away. But the ever so present question remained there. Why was it so important to her? So important to her to tell him? Everything around her went on in a blur, the true impact of her decision was not yet to be understood, she degraded it as a momentum of teenage-like spite and energy to decide that she would confront the Dark Lord with his new role. With being a father.  
It was ridiculous. She was ridiculous.  
Everything seemed blurrier, her eyes met the boy Draco's and he looked away again.  
More blurry.  
Lyra listened to Yaxley as he declared his latest accomplished mission, the Dark Lord seemed to be pleased.  
She was ridiculous.  
Snape talked about his knowledge of Harry Potter's whereabouts, much to Yaxley's dislike. The woman next to Lyra volunteered herself to find the boy and kill him herself but the Dark Lord rejected that idea. Things were blurrier, blurrier and blurrier, until it was almost not happening. Then suddenly, a rattling snake slithered across the table, Lyra pulled her arms away hastily, her dark eyes widenened and she pressed one hand to her mouth when the serpent opened its large mouth and started devouring the woman that was previously floating above. Lyra's heart was beating faster but she could not take her eyes off of the scene, could not say a word.

"Well, girl." Started the oily voice as its owner patted the serpent's head that he so often referred to as Nagini. His dangerous eyes were focused.

"Before we will test if you are suited enough to become a Death Eater, tell us, what is your name?" He grinned now, he seemed to be following a special plan when he asked. Surely he wanted to know if she was a pureblood, by her name, surely he wanted to see if that criteria was given, if the base was there.

"Lyra." Spoke the girl.  
Everyone was still chattering.  
"Lyra Riddle." She added; the chattering died out on an instant, everybody's widened eyes were fixed on the girl again, mouths slightly opened, the sounds of gasping filled the room and gave it a new atmosphere; a shocked one. 


	4. The Turn

**AN: Hey everyone. Thanks for being so patient. It was a very busy time for me, but I'm always writing bits and pieces whenever I can.**

**Chapter 3: The Turn **

The chattering at the manor began in slow whispering. Shocked expressions were still glued onto Lyra. Lyra's own gaze wandered around, she was unable to look ahead for longer than a few seconds. Her brown eyes strolled to all of the attendants; Yaxley could not have been more shocked: his dull expression was replaced by a mouth gapping open, he stared at her in a mixture of disbelief and awareness. Did he know he had the most dangerous wizard of all time's daughter in his house, kissed her? Brought her here? Did he, perhaps, fear that he would be killed if Lord Voldemort ever found out that Yaxley touched the girl?  
Lyra could not stop a slight grin creeping up her lips as her eyes further wandered around. The boy Draco looked downright terrified and the woman next to Lyra had her lips parted when everyone else started to chatter. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion even though Lyra had only brought the news maybe three seconds ago.  
But the Dark Lord seemed to look past Lyra. His eyes were attentive, not narrowed, he appeared to be frozen to his chair, in the moment. With a loud and echoing growl, he shot up the table, Lyra gasped, everyone fell silent, stared at the girl, to their Lord, back and forth, believing he would kill her on an instant. Despite Lyra's fear of getting cursed, Lord Voldemort did not even yell. But he talked.

"Death Eaters." He started and looked at everyone intensively. Everyone but Lyra.  
"You are dismissed." He said lowly and nobody dared telling him otherwise or make any attempts to stay longer. Most of the Death Eaters disapparated or flew away in black silky nebula seconds later. Yaxley took a little while to realize he was dismissed; he stared at Lyra for one more moment until he got up and vanished wordlessly.  
But not everyone was gone.  
The boy was still there, two people that, by the looks of it, could possibly be his parents: a woman and a man with both having very light blond hair. And the woman with dark curly hair, she was there too and Lyra could feel the gaze on her face. None of them said a word.  
"Get out." It said from the front of the table. Lyra gulped but got up when the others did as well.  
"No. Not you." Cooed the lingering voice from the Dark Lord. Lyra looked over to him and sat back down. She only heard the door clicking when the realized that the others have disappeared. Nothing was said for the longest time, his eyes were not leaving Lyra's face. After what seemed forever, Lyra inhaled deeply and started the conversation she has so long repeated in her mind over and over again.

"Forgive me. I know you don't believe me. You must think I am a liar. But I could not wait any longer, I-"  
"Quiet."  
And Lyra held her silence. Her hands went to her thighs on an instant, she clutched onto her dark stockings that were covering her legs, she played around with the fabric while he continued to walk back and forth without taking his eyes off of her.

"I don't have a daughter. An interesting plan indeed...How. Dare. You..." His menacing voice started and he pulled out his wand but Lyra screamed "No!" and shot up from the chair, stretching her arm out, signaling him to stop. He watched her curiously, eyes glistened in anger but he tilted his head to the side and did not yet attack. Lyra sat back down but leaned closer to him across the table; leaning into the conversation, trying so hard to stress her point - stress the truth.

"Seventeen years ago..." She started and he continued to glare at her but allowed her to speak for the while; like a cat allowing the mouse to run around a bit before catching it again.  
"Leona Dawns." Murmured Lyra softly and hearing this name, the Dark Lord put his wand down; as though it was a trigger for this seemingly subconscious reaction. Lyra took this as a permission to go on.  
"As far as I know, she was only in her early twenties when she met you. She...gave me to the orphanage right after giving birth to me and...was found dead days later. I came to meet you and I came to find out about...my family. Myself and..." She stopped and looked up.

"I am your daughter." She said softly, her eyes wandered over to him hopefully. Nothing was said for a couple of seconds which caused Lyra to feel more nervous. Lord Voldemort's eyes were on his wand, they changed from attentive to narrowed again, his breathing became heavier, Lyra grew more nervous, his breathing became stronger, Lyra grew more scared and she flinched when she heard his voice.

"You were an accident. Nothing more and nothing less. Now get out. And don't you come back again." He growled as he turned his back around and walked away. He left her behind in the room. Lyra's face felt like she has been slapped hard but she could not say anything at all. She was an accident. Nothing more and nothing less.  
Now that she heard those words she felt ridiculous to believe she could ever have been something else. Of course she was an accident, of course. But why did it hurt to hear it? Lyra had come here, prepared to answer all of his questions, to convince him that she was indeed his daughter. It did not take a lot of time for him to be sure that she was right, yet Lyra did not spend a single second on thinking about what to do when he did not care, when he rejected her. Tears now started to stream down her pale cheeks; Lyra was his daughter and he did not want anything to do with her. All she came here for crashed into pieces, nothing of her original plan worked the way she wanted it to. What was she supposed to do now? She was left behind in the home of strangers, she did not even have her wand and could not disapparate without it; she was not a witch without it. Deep inside, however, Lyra felt stripped off of a lot more. More hot tears ran over her face. Accident, accident, accident.

"Shh..." Said a voice next to Lyra suddenly. Lyra jumped and almost knocked over the chair when she flinched away; there she was again. That woman with black curly hair. For some reason, Lyra felt intimidated by her mere presence.

"So it is true...you are indeed his daughter." Stated the woman more to herself. "Let me look at that face of yours..." She cooed and grabbed Lyra's chin. The woman's black eyes stared right into Lyra's brown ones, whose long eyelashes were wet from all the crying.

"You look so much like he used to..." Said the woman and Lyra stopped sniffling. She felt her cheek being caressed and, even though in total need for some warmth, she leaned away from the woman's touch for a second, responding to her in that way.

"I... have to go..." Said Lyra; her eyes got all teary again.

"Go where, dear?" Asked the woman with a faint hint of amusement, as if she knew that Lyra had nowhere to go for the while.

"Back home. It was stupid of me to come here. He said I shouldn't come back again-"

"Now, now. Lyra was it, right? You ought not to run away. You have to fight for his affection." Lyra looked into the woman's eyes. Was she out of her mind? How could she say that? Did that woman know what fighting for Lord Voldemort meant?

"The Dark Lord would never give up. See, dear, not even death has stopped your father; when he was less than alive he was still more feared than any other wizard. His determination and ambition was all he needed. And that's all you need."

Lyra listened as the woman talked. She was right. Ambition and determination, she had all of that. Ambition, determination and hope. With a sudden jolt of excitement, her eyes lit up and she nodded, the last tear was shed. Her brown eyes wandered up to the woman and she felt her cheek being caressed again, both of them stared into each other's eyes and Lyra could not help but wonder about the witch in front of her. Who was she?

"Thank you. Uhm...?" Lyra paused and looked up into the woman's eyes expectingly, indicating some insecurity about her name.

"Bellatrix. Call me Bella."  
"Thank you Bella." Said Lyra gently, then she frowned. Something hit her.  
"Be...Bellatrix Lestrange?" Asked Lyra and the witch next to her cackled lowly but did not say anything else.  
"I have read about you." Explained Lyra and Bellatrix nodded with amusement clearly written on her face.  
"Of course you have. There was no possible way you could research on your father without stumbling across my name." She said proudly, tilting up her chin slightly and Lyra just listened attentively, but seemed extremely confused when Bellatrix got up and wanted to leave.  
"I will get my husband. Then you and I will go, dear." Said Bellatrix as she walked closer to Lyra as the latter did not understand.  
"Go? Go where?" She asked.  
"To my place." Answered Bellatrix as she wiped away some tears from Lyra's cheeks. "Wait here for me."  
"What? What do you mean-hey...hey wait! Where-" But Bellatrix had already vanished from the scene.

Nothing of that seemed to make it clearer. As Lyra stood there waiting, she observed the room. Everything seemed so very cold, not even the fireplace in the middle could heat the room up properly. The arched windows let in just enough blue color from outside, the moonlight gave everything an even more mysterious atmosphere; then again, it seemed to forget that there was nothing mysterious about it anymore. Lyra knew the naked truth now.

The door opened but it was not Bellatrix nor her husband who walked inside. It was the blond guy about her age; she already forgot his name. Drogis? No. Draul? No, but something like that. Lyra glanced over to him and he stood in the distance, tilting his head to the side, as if he was in a museum and she was a piece of artwork that he did not know what to truly think of. Glancing over his shoulder, then back to Lyra, he turned away again and left without a word, Lyra did not have enough time to further evaluate the situation as only moments later, Bellatrix returned with a tall man. He had a well defined beard and dark hair; his thickset body looked intimidating as most of his mass seemed to be muscles. Had it not been for his dull, blank gaze, Lyra would have been scared of him. He walked closer, the moonlight broke in his black eyes and gave him a more severe look.

"She looks so much like he did." He said and cupped Lyra's chin a bit too harsh, forcing her face up. He stared deeply into her eyes. Bella nodded with a faint smirk that activated Rodolphus's smirk as well.  
"The Dark Lord's daughter, I can't believe it." He murmured and shook his head with that ever so present grin on his lips.  
"I don't understand..." Grumbled Lyra suddenly. She pulled her chin away, her eyes narrowed in discomfort. She rubbed her jaw before crossing her arms but the couple in front of her only chuckled lowly, both of them. Rodolphus started to grin and he glanced at his wife, she nodded at him before he declared. "Let's go."  
And with that, the three of them disapparated.


	5. The Chance

AN: ANNOUNCEMENT! You like Bella and OC-fanfictions? Check out the fanfiction "Entwined Enchantment" here on fanfiction! It's a collaboration between me (DAMNINEEDANAME) and ElizavetaLiliya. The story is about two sisters falling for the Black women...or are they just falling for a trap? Ah well have fun, here's the link:  s/11187439/1/Entwined-Enchantment

**Chapter 4: The Chance**

Lyra stood in a large, dark drawing room. Everything here seemed to be made of black marbled glass; it looked very exquisite and pricy. She brushed some of her long wavy strands away from her pale cheeks as she let her eyes wander around even more, looking for the witch and wizard that brought her here. Rodolphus seemed to be gone but Bellatrix walked over to her and smiled.

"Don't be a stranger." She purred while grabbing hold of Lyra's shoulders, gently leading her ahead.

"I should not be here..." Said Lyra suddenly and stopped walking, causing Bellatrix to bounce ahead. She turned around to the girl and sighed in what Lyra could not completely determine as sincere empathy.

"I thought we had that clear." Bellatrix then said in a low voice, almost cold. She quickly caught onto her tone and replaced it with a bright smile. "I want you to succeed." She said. "And the only way to your goal...is through certain burdens. Well, I honestly would have wished for you not to view me as a burden..." She glanced to the side and Lyra forced a smile.

"Don't get me wrong." The girl inhaled deeply. "I just don't want to be a burden for you, in fact..."

"You're no burden." Bellatrix gasped slightly at the thought, grabbing Lyra's arms and pulled her closer into the light, observing her face.

"You don't know me..." Said the girl softly but Bellatrix's lips perched into a grin. "I know your father like nobody else...it's an honor for me to have you here."

Lyra blushed and turned her face to the side, causing Bellatrix to cackle.

"Are you hungry?" Asked the woman and Lyra thought for a second, then shook her head. "No, thanks. I'm not hungry."

"When did you last eat?" Bellatrix asked with a raised eyebrow and Lyra did not know whether to lie or not.

"Well?"

"Earlier this morning-"

"That's a while ago. What did you eat?" Bellatrix continued and Lyra stared at her. "An apple." She said.

"An apple?!" Gasped Bellatrix and shook her head. "That's nothing! Come on, dear. Let me take care of that. KREACHER!" She called out as she turned her face to the side and on an instant, an old but happy looking house elf appeared.

"Yes, Miss Bellatrix?" Asked the croaky voiced elf and glanced towards to Lyra, his old eyes widened, as if he knew whom she resembled so much.

"Fix something to eat for us. For three." Said Bellatrix but Kreacher did not take his eyes off of Lyra when he nodded absentmindedly, then turned his face to Bellatrix, fully attentive.

"Yes, Miss. Kreacher will gladly do so." He bowed and disappeared again.

"Miss Lestrange, I-" Lyra started.

"Bella. Call me Bella."

"Bella..." Lyra tried again. "I know you only mean well. But I can't...stay here."

"Why not? You would have returned back home, would you not? Where was that anyway?" She asked and sat down on a large couch, patting the spot next to her. Lyra took the offer and sat down as well.

"Australia."

"Australia?!" Bellatrix frowned in awe. "That's far away." She added and Lyra nodded. "It is, indeed-"

"And you wanted to come all the way here for nothing?" Asked Bellatrix as she leaned closer to Lyra, brushing some strands of hair away from the girl's shoulder. Lyra remained quiet but her head lowered a bit.

"Who, my dear, promised you it would be easy?" Bellatrix asked and Lyra sighed. "I didn't expect it to be easy. I...didn't expect him to hug and kiss me. I just thought...after all those years he, I don't know, would give me a chance? He's giving people chances that aren't even his family, he allows them around him. Why not me?" Lyra sighed and played with her hair, her dark eyes wandered over to Bellatrix who was listening curiously, nodding and seeming to understand the girl as she caressed Lyra's cheeks.

"He would be very angry...seeing me here, I mean. And seeing you're taking care of me, don't you think he would punish us for that?" Lyra asked but Rodolphus walked into the drawing room, answering.

"The Dark Lord would not kill those that want to follow him so badly." He said and sat down next to Lyra so the girl was now between the couple.

"Why are you helping me?" Lyra then asked, unable to understand their motivation. Bellatrix chuckled.

"Because it feels like the right thing for us to do, dear." She said and Rodolphus nodded, his big hand wandered to Lyra's back, rubbing it firmly but in a gentle manner.

After dinner, Lyra was showed to her guest room. The bed appeared very comfortable but Lyra did not know how much until she actually lay down and fell asleep on an instant, tired from all the events.

"Dear! Dear, wake up!" Bellatrix rushed and tucked on Lyra's shirt a bit as Lyra's eyes shot open.

"Wha-What-s it?" She asked and sat up, not able to collect the pictures yet or force her mouth to form any comprehensive words; it was early in the morning.

"Dress up quickly. Then come to the drawing room." Bellatrix said and so it was done. After a few minutes, Lyra walked downstairs and frowned softly when she saw why she was called. Lord Voldemort stood in the middle of the drawing room, glancing out of the window with a wand in his hands but his eyes turned over to Lyra after a second. Bellatrix and Rodolphus stood in the back of the room, like statues, not budging, just watching. Lord Voldemort walked over to Lyra slowly, his facial features were not twitching the slightest, quite in fact, his eyes narrowed steadily the closer he came. Lyra gulped but stood there in a firm composure as he circled around her yet again.

"You did not listen..." He murmured as Lyra remained standing and staring ahead.

"You told me not to come back. And I did not come back." She said, glancing at him as he faced her once more, his face did, as usual, not twitch the slightest but his hand suddenly rushed ahead and grabbed Lyra's chin forcefully, causing Bellatrix to jump in the back of the room at the sudden movement.

"Don't you cope an attitude with me." He hissed and let go of Lyra the other second; the girl remained quiet. After a silence that felt like forever, he continued to speak.

"I may have been a little too harsh, yesterday, have I not..." Spoke Lord Voldemort in a low voice, his dangerous eyes starting to glisten in delight as he twirled some strands f Lyra's hair around his index finger, but the latter said nothing.

"I am willing to give you a chance. And. Pleased to see that my most loyal Death Eaters might have had the same idea..." He glanced over to the couple and Lyra was not sure whether Lord Voldemort was on good terms with them now. Bellatrix and Rodolphus have not made any attempts to speak or interrupt and that was when Lord Voldemort turned his attention back to the girl.

"What kind of man could resist Lord Voldemort's beautiful daughter, I wonder..." He started and Lyra's eyes widened at this statement. "Even Harry Potter?" He asked and Lyra caught onto Bellatrix's grin, she seemed to know what was coming by now.

And Lyra was no fool herself, she glanced at her father but did not dare say anything.

"You are very valuable to me." He murmured and caressed her cheek in all the gentleness he could muster, and that wasn't a lot, she thought.

"Bring me the boy." He finally said as he brushed down her long and wavy hair, staring deeply into her eyes as he held her face in his hands. Lyra gulped again, nostrils flared slightly but at last, she nodded. He grinned and let go of her, stretched out his arm. "Let me see your wand." He coped but Lyra lowered her head, glanced over her shoulder to Bellatrix and Rodolphus but they seemed to be focused. Bellatrix nudged her chin ahead, eyebrows constricted in confusion.

"I..." Lyra sighed. "I don't have my wand with m-"

BANG. And gasps. Lyra did not turn her eyes towards her father again for he had just slapped her across the face with such an impact that a red imprint of his hand formed on her pale skin.

"No. Daughter. Of. Mine. Is. Wandless!" He growled in a low hiss, his eyes narrowed in destructive anger. "Where is your wand!" He demanded and Lyra winced, biting her bottom lip.

"With Yaxley-"

"YAXLEY?!" All three, Lord Voldemort, Bellatrix and Rodolphus shrieked.

"I gave it to him so he could be sure I would not attack you, my lord." Lyra said softly. "He brought me to the meeting, after all..." She closed her eyes and rubbed her stinging cheek.

"Very well... Bellatrix. You and Rodolphus are going to fetch Lyra's wand. Kill Yaxley, should he make any attempts to keep it. And you..." He looked at Lyra. "Let's take a walk."

Once Bellatrix and Rodolphus had left the manor, Lord Voldemort and Lyra walked outside. She glanced up at him, wanted to say something, wanted to say so much but she did not.

"As my daughter." He started. "I expect nothing less but the best from you, Lyra. You will train harder than ever before." He glanced at her and she nodded as he continued his speech. "You will follow the tradition of Salazar Slytherin, you shall not be a disgrace."

"Yes. I will try my best." She said gently, searching for his eyes but he did not allow her the contact.

"There are so many things I would like to ask you..." Lyra suddenly said but Lord Voldemort could not have cared less.

"I did not come here to chatter." He frowned and Lyra gulped again.

"The boy." He started. "That is how all questions can be answered." And he suddenly pulled Lyra closer, whispering.

"Don't fail me." He stopped walking to stare at her and only proceeded when Lyra nodded yet again but her attention was dragged away when she heard some noise from the manor. Bellatrix and Rodolphus were back and rushed outside.

"Yaxley was not at home, my lord. And the wand was not in his house. He must've taken it wherever he went to." Said Rodolphus and before Lord Voldemort could say anything, Lyra interrupted in a determined manner.

"It's okay. I will get it back myself." Lyra said and Lord Voldemort started to grin. His eyes wandered to the Lestranges.

"I expect you to give her all details on Harry Potter and his friends. And..." He narrowed his eyes. "Teach her."

"Yes, my lord. Of course!" Squeaked Bellatrix in joy, pulled Lyra closer and randomly dusted her off. Lyra just stood there and let it happen.

"I shall be back, soon..." Lord Voldemort added in a purr "Lyra..."

And with that, he disappeared in thin air.

"Are you alright, dear?" Asked Bellatrix softly as Lyra did not speak for the longest while nor ate anything during lunch.

"Yes." Lyra said but as the words left her lips, she lowered her head. She couldn't help it, it just happened, it was a natural reaction to the lie.

"You don't seem okay." Said Rodolphus but Lyra narrowed her eyes.

"I am okay!" She suddenly thundered in anger, causing the glass of water to shatter as though somebody ran through it with an invisible knife from the distance. Bellatrix and Rodolphus glanced at each other but did not further stress the point, however, sighed when Lyra left the room and walked back upstairs.

"Ngh..." grumbled Bellatrix as Rodolphus looked at her.

"Give it time." He said and earned a glare from his wife.

"We have the Dark Lord's daughter in our house." He reminded her and Bellatrix waved him off.

"It's not that! I am beyond proud, you above all would know! I don't want her to be sad...I.." She looked over to the direction where Lyra just stalked away.

"I want to be as close to her as possible...for that reason. I'm so excited to have her here, I can barely take it..." She threw her head back. "I'll go talk to her-"

"No. Let her adjust, I said. She will feel smothered-"

"But I want to smother and spoil her!"

"Bella." Rodolphus frowned. "She's not a pet. She's-"

"The Dark Lord's daughter!" Bellatrix said excitedly, jumped up again and walked off to Lyra.

"Dear?" Asked Bellatrix as she opened the door to Lyra's room carefully. Lyra sat on the bed and stared up the ceiling but forced a smile when she saw Bellatrix. The witch sat down, eyes wandered around Lyra's face as the latter spoke.

"Sorry about earlier, I-"

"Don't worry." Bellatrix interrupted. "I know what he expects from you. And I know you do not want to disappoint him." She said in a way that made Lyra wonder whether it was more of a command to not disappoint Lord Voldemort rather than a statement about the girl's actual fear.

"I don't want to disappoint him." Lyra mumbled and sighed, earning a bright smile from Bellatrix.

"You won't. We ought to think about it. How to find Potter. It's not easy, you see. But..." She started to rub Lyra's cheek. "You have a very special charm about yourself. The boy would have to be blind to oversee it." She grinned.

"Where can I find him?" Lyra asked and sat upright even more, fully attentive.

"That" Bellatrix said and dotted the tip of Lyra's nose playfully. "Is the question. But for now, we should go ahead and get your wand. Come on." Bellatrix got up but Lyra shook her head.

"I want to do it on my own. Just tell me his address so I can use the floo network."

Bellatrix crossed her arms, unamused. "No, dear. You have nothing to attack him with in case he decides to-"

"Let me try it on my own. You can still come and pick me up in case it takes too long."

Bellatrix sighed but gave in, eventually. "Alright" she said and let Lyra go for now.


	6. The Dark Lord's Daughter

**Chapter 5: The Dark Lord's Daughter **

"Oi!" It said from across the room as the male voice came closer. "Don't you know it's insolent to just appear in somebody's-" then the voice stopped. "You..." He frowned and eyed up the girl standing in the distance before a fireplace.

"Yaxley." Said Lyra as she walked closer, she pulled back the black hood from her head. "You forgot to give back something specific, did you not?"

"You're still in the country?" He asked and chuckled lowly. "Thought daddy killed you..."

Lyra's eyes narrowed, her nostrils started to flare in anger.

"You. Forgot. To give back. Something specific." She repeated and Yaxley rubbed his chin.

"You forgot to stick to our agreement as well..." He purred and walked closer and Lyra could not believe the level of guts he seemed to have, talking to her like so, now that he knew she was his boss's daughter.

"Are you trying to deny my request, Yaxley?" She asked coldly and for once, the man's eyes widened for the split of a second but he caught onto it and spluttered out. "Is there something you can do about it, without a wand?" He teased but Lyra only stared at him without a change of expression.

"Would you like to find out?" She asked softly while having her eyes fixated on him. "As you wish.." She added and was about to turn around when Yaxley called out to her.

"Nonsense! A bluff! But...wait." He grumbled, then exhaled when the girl stopped in her tracks and only glanced over her shoulder to look at him; waiting with crossed arms. Yaxley walked closer.

"You can have your wand back." He stated and smirked, reaching for Lyra's hips. "After having some fun. The Dark Lord's daughter...daughter of the most powerful wizard in my chamber, can't believe it..." He muttered more to himself as he bit his bottom lip but Lyra only looked at him, almost bored.

"You have one second to let go, Yaxley." She said nonchalantly but the man next to her only tightened his grip around her. When he reached out for her full, luscious bosom, a force of sorts, force of strange and mysterious power pushed him away and he crashed right into a wall behind. With a loud gasp, Yaxley jumped up again, eyes diluted in fear and pain, he stood on his wobbling knees, facing the girl that performed this outspoken magic without a wand.

"I require. My. Wand." She said firmly but with as little emotion as possible.

"You're obviously good without it...!" He glared but seeing the girl so unamused, he glanced over to a direction, then back to her, as though not entirely sure about fighting her.

"We had a deal. A deal we had!" He growled out to her. "The Dark Lord always sticked to his words-"

"I am not going to further discuss this with you." Lyra said with eyes narrowing steadily by now.

"You're missing out on some fun, a lot of fun I tell you!" He hissed but walked over to the direction he previously glanced to, over to a shelf. Lyra watched him as he pulled out a black box and inside, her wand. He sighed and handed it over to her, his eyebrows constricted when Lyra took it but she looked deeply into his eyes, eyes that closed on an instant when they reflected green light coming from Lyra's wand. The girl stepped over the body.

And disappeared.

"There you are. I was about to come and get you." Said Bellatrix when Lyra was back. The girl smiled at her but waved her off. "No need to." And walked past the witch while saying "let's talk about the mission".

As Bellatrix and Rodolphus sat in the library, Lyra listened cautiously.

"So he's being followed by two friends, a boy and a girl..." Lyra took mental notes as the couple gave all the information they had.

"And he's known to be brave...or foolish, it's not always very clear...hmm... I believe I know where I have to go." Said Lyra with a faint grin.

"You do? Where is that?" Asked Bellatrix and Rodolphus frowned and interrupted "Don't go head over heels, Lyra-"

"I won't. I believe I know very well where I can catch the boy. But it will take some time. If he works the way I think he does...I won't go there now and not in a couple of weeks either. But soon."

"He's not at Hogwarts." Said Bellatrix as Rodolphus added "Snape would have informed us-"

"No, not Hogwarts. Somewhere else. I believe it's best if I didn't tell you." Lyra then smiled. "Just leave it to me."

Of course this was completely against Bellatrix's belief.

"No!" She shrieked suddenly and very sternly, her eyes started to narrow. "You will tell us everything of your plans. I don't see why not." She murmured and Lyra sighed. "I don't think it's wise if everyone knew-"

"We are not everyone!" Bellatrix thundered but Lyra could not understand why she was so angry.

"What's the matter?" Asked Lyra with a frown. "Are you scared you could miss out on some fun?" She went on sharply but Bellatrix gasped in shock at the girl's attitude.

"I am merely scared something could happen to you, Lyra!" Bellatrix barked and pulled the girl closer. "I just...got you. And I don't want to lose you because of something that could've been prevented my dear." She then gave Lyra a big fat kiss on her forehead as Rodolphus patted through the girl's hair gently. He pulled the two of them closer as he grumbled. "Bellatrix is right. You will tell us. Otherwise you won't go." And as Lyra looked into his eyes, she was very well aware that he was as serious as could be. She smiled, then went on ahead and told them. Bellatrix and Rodolphus glanced at each other intensively, light twinkling in their eyes as they grinned.

"She thinks just the way he does..." Bellatrix squeaked in joy as she pulled Lyra closer to, yet again, kiss her forehead.

A couple of days passed and during that time, Lyra gained more and more respect for the Lestranges as they taught her the Dark Arts and more advanced spells she could not have dreamt of.

"Your father taught me this one." Said Bellatrix proudly when she stopped the curse that caused demon-like monsters to appear. Lyra's heart was beating fast when she saw the creatures, black and horrifying with piercing red eyes and screeches that caused her to feel loosened from her own skin. She gulped and glimpsed over to Bellatrix who cackled loudly and with a flick of her wand, the creatures disappeared.

"Your father let them hunt me. And only when I found out how to free myself, he taught me the curse." She said and walked over to the terrified girl on the floor. She knelt down to her level and pulled her against her chest.

"Don't worry." She said. "I won't let them attack and hurt you." She whispered softly but got up again to continue training Lyra. 

"It's surprising how fast you can learn." Stated Rodolphus during dinner one day. Lyra smiled softly and chewed on her salad while Bellatrix glanced at the girl for a moment but smiled. "There will be another meeting tomorrow. We will discuss the plan the other day. Potter is going to turn seventeen..." Grumbled Bellatrix in annoyance as she rolled her eyes and pulled the bit of food from her fork with gritted teeth. "Potter..." She repeated in a low hiss as Lyra finished her meal and leaned back against the chair, her dark eyes wandered out of the window.

"Also..." Rodolphus said. "I hear there will be new laws." He started but Bellatrix interrupted "we already know about the anti-mudblood-law for Hogwarts-"

"No, not that." He said. "Everyone is forbidden to stay out at night, there will be a curfew."

"A curfew?!" Lyra frowned.

"For everyone aside from us, the Death Eaters, of course."

"Now." Bellatrix looked at Lyra. "I have to get something. I'll leave you-"

"Can I come with you?" Asked Lyra softly and gave a small smile that Bellatrix returned.

"Sure, if you're ready to leave..Let's go." Cheered Bellatrix and Lyra did not protest, she waved at Rodolphus with a smile when the girls left the manor.

"Stay close to me." Said Bellatrix. "Very close." She added. "There are crazy people out here."

Lyra could not suppress a chuckle, but she glanced around softly. "A very dark place...Knockturn Alley?" She asked as she read the sign once they passed by.

"Yes. I don't wish to see you here aside from now. It's a dangerous place and beautiful young witches like you will be catching everyone's attention. Not to mention their interest..." She growled as she glared at a man eying up the young girl.

"Better turn your eyes away before I burn them off!" Bellatrix hissed curtly and the man gasped and turned away as fast as he could once the two of them entered a very dark store.

"Borgin and Burke's..." Whispered Lyra as she looked around.

"Your father used to work here when he was about your age." Said Bellatrix as they waited by the counter.

"Really?" Lyra asked and her eyes started to shine brightly as she looked around, seeing everything in a different angle now that the information was thrown in. There were objects of dark sorts, Lyra was very well aware, deadly and dangerous. With a glance around the room, she saw a hunched up figure walking to the counter, dark greasy hair hanging loosely from his scalp and his yellow teeth made Lyra wonder why her father would ever choose to work next to someone like this.

"Dear Madam Lestrange, how can I help you...?" He purred and Bellatrix crossed her arms. "Didn't I order a book last time I came here?!"

"Why, yes! Yes it is here, here it is..." He turned around to a shelf and pulled out a black leathery book, dusting it off.

"Took me some time to find this baby...is there something else I can do for you?" He muttered and handed it over. Bellatrix looked through the book, read along with her fingernails tracing the line, then she nodded and handed it back with a grin, then nodded.  
"I need three toads."  
Borgin nodded and walked over to a shelf and put three toads into a larger mason jar, Lyra could barely see it as he stuffed the jar into a paper bag and handed it over to Bellatrix. Bellatrix did not say a word, instead she put down two galleons, then simply grabbed Lyra's arm and pulled her out of the store, ignoring Borgin's careful mentioning of a higher price.

"Come, dear." Bellatrix started as she shoved the book into her bag. "Let's grab something to eat, shall we?"

"Now." Bellatrix flipped some hair over her own shoulder once they had returned to training at Lestrange Manor that evening. "The three unforgivable curses. They need to be in your 'stash', so to say..." She sighed with the next words. "They will be of great use to you, use them well...Stand over there. Good. So. The Cruciatus curse first...my favorite." Bellatrix grinned and bit her bottom lip as she eyed up the girl while raising her chin a little and lowering her eyelids, summoning one of the toads they got at Borgin and Burke's earlier. Lyra glanced at the creature that floated in the air, of course Bellatrix would never touch anything like that. She, instead, walked behind Lyra and rested her chin on the girl's shoulder, breathing against her neck softly as she showed her the right arm movement to perform the curse.  
"Remember, you've got to mean them..." she uttered into Lyra's ear. "Do it." She then commanded and Lyra did as she was told. The toad cringed and struggled in the air and it did not take a lot of time for Lyra to become bored and she loosened the curse. Bellatrix walked up to her, frowning. "You got the curse easily...well. What about the next one." Bellatrix let the toad down, summoning another toad that she lowered to the ground as well.  
"Cast your will upon them, use the Imp-"  
"Imperio!" Said Lyra and on an instant, one toad attacked the other one. After a couple of seconds, again, Lyra grew bored of this and she swiftly raised her wand before Bellatrix could summon the next toad, uttering.  
"Avada Kedavra."  
Both toads dropped dead when the green light hit them both at the same time. Bellatrix's eyes were widened, her breathing grew heavy in both joy and shock. "You already know the curses, why didn't you tell me?"  
"You did not ask." Said Lyra simply as she turned around and vanished.

Later that night, Lyra was unable to fall asleep again. She couldn't get the meeting out of her head that was coming closer and closer. This time it was not out of fear. But out of excitement.


	7. The Capture

**Chapter 6: The Capture **

Cold air invaded the room at Malfoy Manor. It was the same room in which the Death Eaters have met before, containing the same cold atmosphere and the same tense expressions looking to the large table's surface, trying to avoid any sort of eye contact with Lord Voldemort, who sat there quietly, deeply in thoughts.

"Where's Yaxley?" Asked a dark haired man with a beard, glancing around and only receiving quiet shrugging. Almost boredly, Lyra looked over to the only empty spot but did not twitch the slightest nor continued being bothered by it, instead, her face raised up when Rodolphus sat down next to her and patted the back of her head softly, causing Bellatrix sitting on Lyra's right to smile admiringly upon, probably once more, recalling that they had the dark lord's daughter in their midst and her very family.

Lord Voldemort's eyes scanned the room thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as his eyes glued to the free spot where Yaxley usually was. Slowly, he dragged his gaze over to Lyra who, by now, could not suppress a slight grin.

And Lord Voldemort grinned back.

After about half an hour, all the plans and all the steps were clear. They would catch Potter close to his uncle's and aunt's home when he would try to escape, that much was clear, Snape guaranteed. Bellatrix smiled brightly, her eyes were twinkling in delight, her fingers curled along the table as she moved in her chair a slight bit. "I'll get Tonks this time...I'll kill her...I know she will be there...prune the tree...prune it..." She uttered but Lyra did not comment. She remembered Lord Voldemort's last teasing about the recent werewolf-marriage of Tonks, who was Bellatrix's niece and daughter of Bellatrix's disowned sister, and so it was obvious to her that Bellatrix was dead serious.

"I shall make this clear." Said the cold voice from the topmost front of the table at last.

"This is the perfect chance...to catch the boy. I require nothing but the greatest devotion to this mission." He narrowed his eyes as he got up from the table, stared at the crowd but his gaze glued to Rodolphus who smiled softly at Lyra as he patted her head yet again, then walked off, dismissing the meeting.

"For the last time! You're not coming with us!" Screamed Bellatrix in rage back at Lestrange manor the other day, causing Lyra to frown widely. They had an ongoing discussion about the capturing mission since the meeting but this was the first time that Bella got so loud.

"I am part of the group as well! Of course I'm coming with you!"

"You shall not! It's too dangerous! You have to catch Potter when he's alone, in case he escapes this time!"

"What next time Bella?! Maybe there's no next time! This is my chance to prove myself and to him that-"

"There will be too many aurors tonight! You are the dark lord's daughter! You can't dive into adventures like that!"

Lyra blinked, her mouth gapped open but she found no more arguments. "I'm his daughter..." She repeated with her head lowered. "I am not weak..."

"I know you're not, dear." Bellatrix sighed and walked up to Lyra, her frown disappeared as she caressed the girl's soft cheeks. "I can't lose you..." She whispered more to herself than to Lyra, but the latter shook her head.

"You don't trust my abilities..."

"I don't trust their luck." Bellatrix interrupted, causing Lyra to raise her head and stare into Bella's dark eyes curiously.

"That is indeed a fine difference." Said Rodolphus as he walked into the salon. There was a short pause.

"Are you always listening to what we say and then comment as you walk in?" Said Lyra in half-hearted amusement, causing the other two to cackle.

"Well, I've been hearing your screaming..." Rodolphus sighed but rested a hand on Lyra's shoulder. "Leave this mission to us."

"Alright." Said Lyra finally with a smile, turned around and stalked off, ignoring Bellatrix's glaring.

"Now why do I not believe her..." She uttered and dropped onto the couch with crossed arms.

"You can't force her to stay at home while everyone is out there, trying to complete the very mission the dark Lord himself asked her to perform. Besides. Weren't you the one who always said you'd gladly put your sons in the dark Lord's service, should you have any?"

"In case you did not notice. LYRA IS A GIRL!" Bellatrix spluttered out and glared, throwing an apple that she quickly grabbed from the table, at her husband. Rodolphus managed to duck in time, however he said nothing because attention was forced somewhere else at that moment

"MISS BELLATRIX!" Yelled Kreacher the house elf suddenly once he appeared. His big eyes were widened as he screamed in panic, even more so seeing his mistress's bewildered expression as she jumped up.

"THE DARK LORD'S DAUGHTER IS GONE!" He yelled. "KREACHER HAS JUST SEEN IT, SEEN HER DISAPPARATING IN THIN AIR, MISS! KREACHER COULD NOT STOP HER, HE WANTED TO, BUT SHE WAS TOO FAST!"

Rodolphus frowned but he instantly got up to check if the elf was telling the truth, not listening to Bellatrix furious screaming at the elf in the salon.

Only seconds later, Rodolphus returned, panting slightly and nodded. "He's right, Lyra's gone..."

"To the manor, we have to get her back!" Shouted Bellatrix.

"Think! Once she's at the manor...she can't withdraw from the mission anymore. I'm sure he expects her to be there in the first place. If we pull her away then...he might kill her." He said softly as he walked up to Bellatrix who frowned widely but her dark and dangerous eyes filled with tears.

"She knew that..." Bellatrix whimpered slightly. "She knew it..."

"So early...?" Whispered a voice further behind Lyra, the girl that just appeared at Malfoy manor. She turned around only to see the blond guy about her age, leanings against the tall, arched window, staring out, then back to her.

"Sorry. I did not mean to be rude." Lyra said gently, recalling that apparating into somebody's home was not all too kind but she crossed her arms when he did not look at her. "What was your name again?"

"Draco." He said and turned his attention to her, uncrossing his arms and standing upright. "And you are Lyra."

"That's right."

Draco stared at her in concentration, curiousness and something that, for Lyra, looked like a mixture of wanting to mention something but deciding to swallow it instead. Draco turned around yet again, looking out of the window and into the dark sky.

"I wonder..." He started and Lyra frowned.

"Now why are you looking out all the time?" She asked and walked over to him, staring out of the window as well but could not find anything interesting.

"Where's Bellatrix?" He asked and Lyra sighed, not answering.

"She did not want you to come?"

Lyra shook her head.

"But still yet, you're here."

Lyra nodded.

Draco stared at her again, with the same expression he looked at her when he saw her for the first time; as though she was a piece of artwork that he was not entirely sure what to think of.

"You...must live under great pressure..." He said carefully, waiting for her response but Lyra only looked at him.

"I mean..." He gulped and stared outside again. "The dark lord's daughter, you...must always live up to...high expectations...especially now." He said and Lyra looked away, not answering. Both of them were now watching the night sky outside, though quiet in its secret it still said a lot. As the girl glanced over her shoulder at an irrational moment, her eyes widened and she jumped a slight bit.

"My...My lord..." She whispered but her father's eyes only looked to Draco intensively once the blonde turned around and Lyra started shivering at the sudden coldness of the room caused by Lord Voldemort's mere presence. He walked closer to the two of them, his mouth not twitching, not giving away what could possibly happen next.

"Leave." He hissed lowly at Draco and the latter made no attempts to deny his command, walking off quickly.

"What do you think..." He started. "What do you think YOU'RE DOING?!" He yelled and pressed his lips together firmly, hand clutched around his wand tightly. Lyra looked like a deer, trying to find the error of her action, trying to figure out what it was now, that he did not like.

"If you're talking about Yaxley, he deserved it-"

"I am not talking about Yaxley." He murmured dangerously, though giving away a slight grin on the matter but he abandoned it the next moment.

"I am. Talking about you..." He stretched the last word in a whisper. A sudden CRACK caused both of them to avert their attention to the door, Bellatrix and Rodolphus appeared at Malfoy Manor.

"You..." Voldemort said, narrowing his eyes as he walked closer to them.

"How could you be so stupid and let Lyra come here for tonight!" He thundered and was about to cast a spell on the shocked couple but Lyra gasped. "It was my fault!" She shrieked. "I ran away...I..." She tried to catch her words. "I thought I would try, too...I thought..."

"YOU DID NOT THINK!" He yelled and slapped her across the face yet again, causing Bellatrix to instinctively run to Lyra.

"But why...why can't I try...?" She whimpered, rubbing her stinging cheek and trying to fight the tears.

"BECAUSE!" He yelled and moved his arms so fast that Lyra had almost no time to react but she felt hugged to a firm chest. Rodolphus held her closely to his body. Lord Voldemort's mouth twitched in silent rage, eyes narrowed steadily but he inhaled deeply as he continued.

"Because if any of Potter's poor friends...or Potter himself...sees you tonight. And the boy, with all the dumb luck that is his life's content...is able to be rescued yet again...you will NOT be able to have a second chance, for they know what you look like and where you belong!" He growled and smacked the palm of his hand onto the table's surface; the noise made Lyra jump.

"But it's at night...and the Death Eaters have masks and-"

"But you. Are no Death Eater." He hissed and Lyra's eyes widened, feeling like this was the greatest insult he could find.

"We cannot risk it. Cannot risk that they find out who you are. Now go! Back to Lestrange manor!" And Lord Voldemort watched as Rodolphus kissed Lyra's head, whispering something into her ear.

Lyra was only able to catch both men looking at each other intensively before she vanished.

"Miss..." Said Kreacher once Lyra was back at the manor. "You scared Kreacher, Miss. Kreacher thought Miss Lyra would never come back again. He worried. He had to tell his mistress, Kreacher is very sorry." He bowed lowly but Lyra waved him off with a big sigh. "It's not your fault. It's my fault. I shouldn't have..." She stopped herself and exhaled deeply as she flopped on the couch sadly, rubbing her head.

"Kreacher knows Miss Lyra did not eat a lot today, she only ate Kreacher's fruit salad this morning, Kreacher worries about Miss Lyra's wellbeing, can he prepare some food?"

"Sure..." She sighed softly and Kreacher, being the happiest house elf on earth, disappeared into the kitchen but Lyra was just staring ahead blankly as a couple of hot tears ran down her rosy, pale cheeks.

"It tasted very good." Said Lyra later that night as she shoved the last bit of very fine, thin cut roast beef into her mouth, adding seasoned potatoes on her fork the other second. Kreacher was a fine cook. He put the dishes away happily and ran back.

"Thank you Miss! Kreacher is very happy to hear so. Now if you don't mind, Miss, it is very late. And Kreacher only cares for Miss Lyra's wellbeing! Shall Kreacher prepare Miss Lyra's bed? So she can sleep and rest and dream?"

Lyra looked at the elf but couldn't suppress a slight smile. Shaking her head, she said. "No. I couldn't sleep. I want to hear what they say once they're back."

Then Kreacher stared at her, suddenly breaking out in tears. Lyra, losing her guard, was caught in surprise by this. She sat upright in her seat on the couch. "What's wrong?"

"Kreacher is...i-is so-o scared! Sca-ared that Mistress and...M-master won't come bac-k! Oh he could not forgive himself, he could not!" He cried heart breakingly but at that very moment, there was another loud BANG and Bellatrix appeared in the middle of the living room, though not alone. Rodolphus arm was wrapped around her neck, supporting him, while Kreacher cried even more, not knowing what to do. Lyra jumped up now, seeing the puddle of blood on the ground.

"MASTER! MASTER RODOLPHUS!" The elf whined and wailed while Lyra ran over to his body and kneeled down, her face paler than before and mouth opened in a silent scream while Bellatrix ripped his shirt open, aiming her wand at the wound.

"What happened! What happened to him!" Cried Lyra, watching the blood running back into Rodolphus's body.

"Tonks..." She growled but exhaled deeply when the wounds started to close. "That bitch...I'll get her at last, I will..." She uttered dangerously and Rodolphus coughed but he was too weak to talk.

"Ngh...What about Potter?" Lyra asked but Bellatrix shook her head. "Got away."

"Damnit..." Lyra growled but she leaned down to Rodolphus and smiled, kissing his cheek. "You will be fine, I promise." She said happily and full with motivation and hope, earning a small but weak and sincere smile from him.


	8. The Surprise

Chapter 7: The Surprise

The next couple of days were pretty convenient for Rodolphus Lestrange. Spoiled by not only the house elf Kreacher, who would ask about every four minutes if his master needed anything, even Bellatrix, his usually so cold wife, showed some sympathy with him. And Lyra, he thought. Lyra was downright a treasure. She would sit with him in the bedroom, snuggled up to his chest and Bellatrix would sometimes see them asleep and smile brightly at the view. Soon, Rodolphus was back to his normal condition and shape again, no sign of the battle at all. But not only did Rodolphus's health improve: The Dark Lord's daughter has found a home here and the Lestranges were most ambitious to try anything to preserve this.

"Baby...Babygirl, wake up..." Bellatrix purred and Rodolphus stretched with a drowsy smile. "Yes?" He asked but Bellatrix rolled her eyes and spat.

"You're not my baby girl, now are you?"

Rodolphus chuckled and the waggling movement caused Lyra to slowly blink her eyes open, soft lips pressed against her bangs were greeting her awake. "It's time to get up." Rodolphus murmured against her forehead and Lyra yawned heartily. Bellatrix, abandoning her snotty face, couldn't help but smile softly at Lyra. "Let's continue with your training. A nap is enough."

The hours passed and Lyra could not have been more powerless than now. Rodolphus and Bellatrix were dueling with the girl, two against one, and Lyra managed to block and send a few spells. It wasn't easy, however, and a couple of spells hit the girl, bruising her. Rodolphus seemed to mind this a lot more than his wife, constantly asking Lyra if she was okay, stating he did not want to hurt her. Bellatrix, on the other hand was a lot stricter when it came to training. As much as she grew to love Lyra, she wanted her to be a strong duelist.

"You're not concentrating." She frowned at Lyra when she looked away.

"I am trying!" Lyra said, feeling mistreated. "But I'm tired and-"

"You have to pull it together!" Bellatrix barked suddenly, firing off a spell at the girl and it hit her hard. Lyra yelped and fell down, panting heavily, but she was too weak to get up. Rodolphus glared at Bellatrix and ran up to Lyra, kneeling down to her level.

"You're being too rough!" He hissed at his wife but Bellatrix crossed her arms yet again, sighing softly and shaking her head, however, she was unable to suppress a slight grin. Said grin vanished when footsteps from behind were audible, Bellatrix spun around and Lyra sat up, staring ahead.

"My lord!" Squeaked Bellatrix brightly but he just moved past her and towards Lyra slowly. Rodolphus had the girl pressed against his body firmly but he loosened the grasp a slight bit when he realized who the visitor was.

"My lord." He said and nodded at him politely but his eyebrows constricted when both men shared the same intense eye contact they shared the last time.

"Is snuggling and cuddling your definition of teaching and training the girl, Rodolphus?" He asked sarcastically, wrinkling what was left of his nose.

"May I add, my lord." Bellatrix walked up from behind. "I was a bit too rough on Lyra, I suppose. We have been training for hou-"

"Quiet." He silenced her with a low hiss, throwing her a sharp glance.

"Get up." He said to Lyra suddenly and Lyra followed his order.

"Get the elf." He said over his shoulder to Bellatrix. Bellatrix clapped thrice and on an instant, Kreacher appeared with a bright smile, believing to be needed - but his bright smile vanished, big eyes widened, he crouched down, sank in his knees upon seeing Lord Voldemort.

"Here we meet again, do we not?" He asked the elf, smirking deviously.

"Stand before Lyra." He demanded coldly, both Bellatrix and Rodolphus looked at each other, then at Lyra, who was possibly as insecure as the elf who stood before Lyra with shaking knees.

"Kill it." He said to Lyra, ignoring the sobbing from Kreacher, the elf that he, in his past, had already subjected to death but was obviously able to escape.

"I said. Kill. It." He glared at Lyra now who looked at the elf with widened eyes, gulping, nostrils flaring in fear and tension. Then shook her head.

"No." She said. "He is a loyal elf, loyal to witches and wizards and to your ideals, my lord, even trying to fight Potter. I see no reason to kill him. He could be useful."

Lord Voldemort stood in the distance, calmly, his eyes wandered over to Bellatrix and Rodolphus, to Lyra, then back to the Lestranges, slightly raising his arm as he pointed at the girl with his wand while talking to the couple.

"Is that what you call training?" He asked them. "See where all your understanding and...LOVE..." He now glared at Rodolphus. "Has gotten you? Has gotten us? NOWHERE!" He thundered and Lyra had to dodge a flash of blue light coming from her father's wand that subconsciously reacted to all his anger and wrath.

"I." He started. "I will take over. As you two are obviously UNABLE." He growled and Lyra motioned Kreacher to disappear by now- and the elf did with a big nod and in thankfulness bathed eyes. Both Bellatrix and Rodolphus gasped, shaking their heads and Bellatrix shrieked with tears in her eyes.

"No, no my lord, please! Give us another chance! We...we needed time to warm up, had to know how to-"

"Enough." Lord Voldemort demanded, raising the palm of his hand. Rodolphus, however, walked over to Lyra and pulled her close.

"A busy man such as you my lord, must have no time to take care of this. Leave it to us, and we won't disappoint you in the end."

"Hmm..." Lord Voldemort then started to smirk, circling around Rodolphus. "Are you saying that YOU are the better father?" He asked and stopped, staring into the man's face but Rodolphus did not answer.

"Come, Lyra. Pack your belongings. You are coming with me." Lord Voldemort said loudly, throwing Bellatrix in tears with that.

"But...my lord, please..."

"Quiet! You will receive her back once I am done with her." He said dangerously as he glared into Lyra's face. Lyra searched for Rodolphus's eyes and he nodded assuringly at her and that's when she walked off to pack her bag yet again.

"I must say. I am disappointed. I expected better! Expected more strictness! Less free time! Whenever I see her, she is in no kind of training!"

"We have been training her everyday." Stated Rodolphus calmly, as though not agreeing to wear the guilt-costume at all.

"And she is a very talented witch as it is, like you are a very talented wizard, my lord!" Added Bellatrix but Lord Voldemort glared.

"I!" He started. "I am not A TALENTED wizard! I AM! The BEST!" He growled but before anything else could have happened, Lyra appeared and nodded at her father.

"I am ready." She said and Lord Voldemort glanced to Lyra.

"Good." He said and walked past her, figuring she would follow but instead, she walked over to both Rodolphus and Bellatrix, hugging them one last time.

And then they disappeared.

As the both of them appeared at Malfoy Manor, Lyra was surprised to find that nobody else seemed to be there. It felt like it, at least.

"Where is everyone?" She asked carefully but Lord Voldemort just glanced at her but did not answer. Instead, he said. "After me." And stalked off. Lyra followed him upstairs and into what looked like a guest room.

"Stay here until I get you." He said and locked the door from outside.

Lyra sighed softly as she glanced around the cold interior, dark blue and stony but mostly unused, dusty and never touched.

After some time that felt like forever, the door opened again. Lyra had fallen asleep once more, it was dark outside and the moon was shining down on her face. Instead of being gently woken up, a firm grip on her hair caused her to rip her eyes open. Lord Voldemort pulled her out of the bed and further to the door where she was now able to stand up herself, wincing and trying to control the strength as she put her hand onto his, trying to pry him off. "Let go...! Please!" She whimpered but he was too strong and he simply threw her onto the floor.

"Crucio." He stated lowly and Lyra's eyes widened, she began to scream and shout in fear and pain; sheer agony rushed through her body and all that she wanted was to drop dead on an instant be rid of the intense, negative force. "STOP! STOP!" She screamed but he laughed at her, dragging his wand away.

"Look at you..." He said with a tone of disgust in his voice. "Just look at you." And off he walked, locking the door again.

The days passed and Lyra felt like she wasn't real. She would occasionally receive some food and be allowed to use the bathroom, but other than that there was nothing else but training. Training and maybe two or three hours of sleep everyday. Training. Pain. Training. Pain. Sleep. Eat. Training. Pain. Training. Pain.

"Hhmmhn..." Grinned Lord Voldemort as he watched Lyra curling around on the floor, unable to bear the pain for more than a couple of seconds without screaming.

"Did you believe I would babysit you like Rodolphus? Pamper you? Wrap you in fuzzy warmth?" He laughed heartily now while Lyra began to cry, kneeling down to her level.

"People have to earn the respect shown to them. Have to work for a position. Right now...you're doing a lousy job at being my daughter..." He gritted his teeth, mouth twitching in stating yet another degrading comment but he thought something else was more effective. He let go of the curse for now, looking at Lyra's wet and tear-stained face. But there were less tears than the past few days.

"I wonder how you even managed to kill Yaxley." He teased but that was too much for the girl. Directing a glare up to her father, upon not caring it could cost her her life, Lyra suddenly yelled. "Get to know your followers! He was a pervert, trying anything to get into my pants!"

This made Lord Voldemort stop for a moment. He narrowed his eyes but it took some time for him to answer.

"He brought you to the meeting. So you gave him what he wanted?! You let it happen?! Crucio! CRUCIO!"

Lyra screamed again, but she screamed a lot more out of anger and frustration of being misunderstood. The constant humiliation, lack of sleep, pain and wrath directed at her, she couldn't take it any longer. Just when he loosened the curse and once more, wanted to bring his wand back to her, he was too slow. Lyra jumped back up suddenly, she screamed at him, Lord Voldemort had no time, she was too fast, too quick she yelled "IMPERIO!" before another Cruciatus curse could have been directed at her. She forced Lord Voldemort to stop. She. Lyra. Lyra Riddle. Forced him to stop the curse.

"I did not. Sleep. With Yaxley. Not when he wanted to from the start. Not when he wanted to at the end. Never. NEVER." She said firmly.

A second later, her father has gained back his own will, his eyes were widened but Lyra was certain this would not go unpunished. She turned her face away already, prepared for humiliation and pain, even accepting death for a moment - but it did not come. Yet.

"Interesting..." He murmured and circled around her like a lion.

"You refuse to use an unforgivable curse on a dirty house elf. But you are fine...about using it on your father, your lord, most powerful wizard alive?" He asked rhetorically but before she could say another word, he had her chin in his hands, staring deeply into her eyes.

"Quite obviously, in the end, you are my daughter."


	9. The Visit

Chapter 8: The Visit

Lyra was not so terribly mistreated the following days. Lord Voldemort was still very strict and refused to stay for any more than a three-second chit-chat, however, his degrading comments decreased drastically the more he got to know his daughter's abilities. Merciful though he was upon Lyra's abandonment of asking questions, he permitted her to stay in the library for the day and gain more theoretical input on the advanced dark arts that Lucius Malfoy stored in his stash.

"So ambitiousss..." Came a voice from behind a shelf; Lyra did not see the person but it didn't matter.

"Yes." Lyra said gently. "I want him to be proud..." She murmured.

"Oh, but he will be..." The voice said again and that's when Lyra spent more time on checking who was talking, but again, she saw nobody from her angle. Raising an eyebrow, she stood up and now recognized who it was, or furthermore, what it was.

"You never talked to me before, Nagini." Said Lyra and sat back down as the snake slithered around and up the chair opposite to the girl.

"Very true, Lyra..." Nagini hissed. "Master sssays you are talented."

Lyra smiled at the snake but looked to her book as she asked softly.

"Really? Did he send you to spy on me?"

"No." Came a voice behind Lyra and the girl spun around quickly. Lord Voldemort stood there, his slender fingers moved to Lyra's shoulders as she turned around again, staring to the book. She glanced to his hands but did not say a word and gulped.

"Father, I-"

"Shhh."

Lyra remained quiet as his hands glided over her shoulder and to the book she was reading. He did not comment as he flipped over to the cover's title and seemed neither pleased nor upset, but Lyra could not shake off the feeling of noticing disguised interest on his blank face as she dared to take a glimpse over her shoulder.

"You have been a good girl lately." He then spoke to Lyra as Nagini slithered around the girl and next to her master.

"I am trying my best" spoke Lyra softly as Lord Voldemort walked around and sat down in front of Lyra; the sunset was cracking into the room, dying the library in an orange haze that reflected Lyra's dark brown eyes, lighting them up to an amber tone as her thick brown and wavy hair framed her pale face that was observed by her father.

"You do look a lot like me. When I was younger... a lot of people fell for my facade. You will find that good looks will open a few doors for you, my child."

"Do I look like Mom, too?" She asked out of a first-instinct curiosity. He nodded. Lyra looked deeply into his blue eyes then, feeling like he was allowing her the conservation she has been longing to get for so long.

"I have questions. So many..." She started, lowering her head when she realized she began with the wrong words. What did he care about her questions. He mentioned it again and again. He was not here for chit-chatting. Potter. Potter would answer all questions worth asking. Almost demotivated to go ahead, believing he would brush her off again, she only continued half-heartedly.

"Mother... What was she like?"

Despite Lyra's fear her father would punish her for that question, Lord Voldemort did not get up. He stared at her calmly, as though trying to see through her, but he remained in his seat.

"She was a very talented witch." He confirmed and Lyra's eyes automatically lit up.

"That makes me happy." She smiled, although her eyes turned duller the other second upon recalling the fact that her mother was dead. "But her talent was not enough...father, how? If she was so talented how did she-"

Lord Voldemort then got up, silencing Lyra with that motion. The girl lowered her forehead, staring to her thighs as he walked past her. Then he suddenly stopped, stretched his arm out and cupped her chin with one hand while he stared deeply into her eyes, his thumb caressed her jawline gently before he, at last, disappeared.

It was a funny thing to see what kind of surprises life held for oneself.

The Malfoys came back later that day. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were introduced to the fact that Lyra was their guest for the while and neither of them made her feel unwelcome at their home, quite in fact, they were always paying her a soft smile and respectful nod whenever she was spotted but they never sought her for any type of conversation.

Draco, on the other hand, actually tried to talk to Lyra. Today was one of these days where he was lucky enough to spot her in the library by herself.

"Hey." He said gently and Lyra nodded at him with a faint smile.

"...I...wanted to visit Diagon Alley. I don't know, maybe...you would like to tag along?" He asked, though not sounding very convinced of his question, sure she would refuse. Lyra, however, put down her quill and looked at him.

"Oh I would love to...but I don't think I am allowed to go..." She sighed but Draco shook his head.

"Fresh air will be beneficial for studying later. Maybe that will convince him."

"Right. Well, I suppose I can try. During lunch." She smiled, still having enough time to pick up the courage.

Lunch was quite nice. There was plenty of food, as always. Lyra decided to go for something containing a lot of rice, it'd keep her stuffed for a while. It took some time until somebody said a word, nobody dared speaking for the longest while.

"Mom...I will go to Diagon Alley later. Just wanted to let you know." Said Draco, making it a reminder for Lyra to finally mention it when she still did not do it half an hour later.

"Can I join Draco?" Lyra asked carefully and her eyes wandered over to her father who was frowning but looking at her intensively. "I don't know why that would be necessary." He said and looked away, the matter seemed dealt with for him.

"Some...change of perspective, maybe...fresh air...besides, I did not yet see much of London. I'm just curious."

"No."

"Why not?" Asked Lyra, unintentionally pouting a slight bit but it vanished by pressing her lips together in tension when her father's angry eyes pierced through her. She sighed gently at Draco with a defeated look to which he responded with a sympathizing expression and a shrug.

Lyra felt very lonely the next few days. Like today's night, she could not stop looking at the ceiling that was hexed into a night sky, watching the stars and fog dancing around the moon. Usually it was downright beautiful and calming, however, tonight it kept Lyra awake. Click.

Lyra's head whirled around to the door, she did not expect to see the face that was actually there.

"Miss Malfoy." Said Lyra gently and sat up.

"You're awake. Good." Spoke the woman, glanced to herself, around, then handed over an envelope.

"A letter? Who wrote to me?"

"You will see. Good night, Lyra."

"Good night Miss. And thank you."

Narcissa smiled gently but walked out of the room. Lyra fluffed up her pillow, pulled out her wand and whispered "lumos" and on an instant, a flash of dim light appeared from the tip of the wood. Carefully, she unwrapped the envelope, trying not to make any noise but as she looked at the letter, she was confused as to find it empty; the envelope seemed to be the letter itself but nothing was written down.

"Aparecium" said Lyra, trying to check if any invisible ink was used but nothing happened. The girl finally lit up the oil lamp on her nightstand, needing her hands free for further investigation.

"Hmm..." Lyra frowned,wondering what else could work but nothing enlightened her mind. Instinctively, she traced the top of her wand along the letter, wanting to know so badly what it meant, and that's when the paper started to glow and heat up, causing the girl to drop it to the floor. With eyes wide open, Lyra watched the piece of paper wrenching and growing, ripping and tearing with a glow shining so bright that she had to cover her eyes. Before Lyra knew it, she was hugged by a pair of arms.

"Bella!" Lyra squeaked and looked at the dark haired witch before her. Bella smiled brightly but pushed the palm of her hand to Lyra's mouth. "Shhh!" She whispered. "We don't want to get caught, do we?"

Lyra shook her head but just hugged Bellatrix again, who held her glowing wand around Lyra, rocking to the left and right a little in her arms. Soft lips were placed on Lyra's cheek, she could feel the witch's smile against her skin.

"I missed you." Whispered Bellatrix and Lyra looked up to her. "I missed you too..."

"Are you okay, baby?"

Lyra sighed, forcing a smile. She did not want the little meet-up to be sad, so she nodded. "Yes."

Bellatrix, however, was not to be fooled. She was very intelligent and especially very observant if she wanted to be. Right now, and Lyra was sure, Bellatrix wanted to.

"I know it's not easy...I know he's...he can be very strict. But it's for your own good. You should feel honored, he's not taking his time with everyone like so." Bellatrix smiled, holding Lyra's face in her hands, trying to look into her eyes but Lyra did not look back.

"Is Rodolphus okay?" The girl then asked and Bellatrix frowned before she answered. "Well..." She started. "He's very, very angry. I've never seen him disagreeing so much with...him..." Her eyes swept over to the door, then back to Lyra. "Angry that he has taken you. He misses you a lot. Yesterday, I even caught him drunk in the basement, next to the elfmade wine. Couldn't decide whether to laugh or yell at him. I wanted to take him with me but he's sleeping like a corpse, having a huge hangover, I suppose..."

Lyra giggled softly at the imagination.

"Poor Rod..." She sighed but Bellatrix huffed and threw her curls over her shoulder while muttering that it was his own fault. Lyra felt so warm now that Bellatrix was here. She cuddled back into the witch's arms, pressed firmly against her chest as her eyes closed, enjoying the warmth and moment. The tip of Bellatrix's nose traced around Lyra's temple, kissing her there a couple of times before she lowered to the girl's mouth and pressed her lips firmly against Lyra's. Lyra, not knowing how to take this, kissed back. Surely it was just the joy of the moment. After a short while, Bellatrix stopped the kiss and ran her hand through Lyra's hair. At that moment, Lyra was so taken aback that she stepped behind but accidentally hit the nightstand, it made a rustling sound, the the oil lamp fell down, shattering into pieces. With a loud 'bang' from outside, Bellatrix gasped and quickly stepped onto the torn paper and disappeared with it while waving at Lyra before the door flung open. Lord Voldemort stood there, his wand aimed at the girl.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping!" He hissed as he saw her with her wand alight.

"I'm sorry...I wanted to go to the bathroom " She pointed to her right, over to the lavatory door in her room. "...but it was too dark, so I stumbled back to get my wand..." Lyra explained as he eyed her up and down, not seeing anything suspicious, however.

"Clean up the mess. Then go to bed." He said in a voice of finality, closing the door and magically locking it again.

Lyra smiled softly to herself as she lay back down, her body spread all over the bed, thinking of Bellatrix and Rodolphus and how much she actually missed them. Now that she thought of it, Lyra was not so sure why and how it happened so fast but she just felt very protected around the Lestranges. They offered her a place to stay from the very start. Of course there was Yaxley, but Yaxley did not count, he just wanted to take advantage of her. The Lestranges were different, Lyra was sure.

And suddenly, she did not feel so lonely and miserable anymore.


	10. The Start

**Chapter 9: The Start **

The weeks passed, weeks of hard training and preparation, weeks of pain and gain.  
While Lyra was not allowed to see the Lestranges and neither of them were, strangely, not invited in the past, Draco and Lyra grew more attached to each other. Narcissa would sometimes find them training together, something that caused Lucius Malfoy to smile brightly each time he came to know, possibly smelling the chance of a big advantage for his son and family. Lord Voldemort, however, was not so pleased about the view he saw this one day, both Draco and Lyra asleep, the girl resting on Draco's shoulder outside the garden against a tree. Lord Voldemort cleared his throat and Draco was first to shoot his eyes open. He gently nudged Lyra awake when he noticed who was there and the girl opened her eyes, yawned, slowly collected the face of her father, then gasped and instantly scooted away from Draco. "It's not what it looks like!" She yelped and Draco nodded frantically.

"Then. What. Is it." Asked the cold voice and Lyra shuddered inwardly.

"We trained together and just fell asleep."

"Get up, Lyra. Now." Her father said dangerously calm, his hands loosely wrapped around his wand, eyes not moving away from Draco. Lyra looked at her father and back to the blonde, then walked away when Draco mouthed her to go.  
Lyra was sure she saw Draco bleeding later that day.

Training. And more training. Lyra did not feel it anymore, did not care whether she was hungry or thirsty, did not care whenever she felt too tired.

"Perfect..." Cooed the dark voice of Lord Voldemort as he watched Lyra performing the last curse. He kept on grinning and smirking, patting Nagini's head every so often and eventually walked over to his daughter, staring into her eyes for the while. It seemed like he was thinking of something, something effective.  
"Well done. I am proud of you."

Lyra's eyes widened and even lowered her wand, so surprised at those words, not able to believe what she had just heard. "You...are?" She asked timidly and he nodded, twirling his wand in his hands.

"You are ready to find the boy. He will stand no chance. Just remember. Not. So. Obvious. You won't disappoint me." He murmured and Lyra shook her head with a bright smile.

"No. I won't. I won't, father! Where do I find him?" She asked excitedly but her father only chuckled. "So ambitious..."

Creek.  
The door opened. Draco's pale eyes peeped through the open space and he instantly pulled his head back when he saw the Dark Lord. But it was too late. The cruel eyes had swept over to him the second they spotted a movement.  
"Draco. Come in, why won't you..." He grinned and the door opened again. Draco stepped in with a heavy sigh and tense expression, obviously regretting wanting to find Lyra at this time.  
"How interesting..." Lord Voldemort stated more to himself and patted through Lyra's hair as though she was Nagini, not caring about Lyra's increasing discomfort, not to mention Draco, who was waved by and sat down on an armchair.  
"My Lord..." He said, gulping when Lord Voldemort only grinned for a while before he finally continued.

"You seek my daughter's attention quite often. You like Lyra, do you not?" He asked and Draco's eyes widened. Lyra, looking at Draco with her mouth gapped open, shook her head. "Father, please, this is making me feel awk-"  
"Quiet."  
"My Lord, I..." Draco stuttered out. "I barely know Lyra, she-"  
"Is she not good enough for you, boy?" Lord Voldemort continued and Lyra hunched down a bit, sinking in her spot in embarrassment. She could not understand why this was happening. Draco, feeling even more embarrassed than Lyra, glanced to the left and right, not knowing what to say.

"Father, please..."  
"QUIET!"  
And everything fell silent. Lyra did not look at anyone by now and instead watched the flames dancing in the fireplace. Lord Voldemort and Draco, however, shared an intense eye contact.  
"You did not answer my question." Reminded Lord Voldemort and Draco bit his bottom lip. "If...if Lyra, my Lord, is not good enough?" He asked assuringly, watching the dark wizard nod.  
"I am certain she would be but...but I don't think of her that way, I-"  
"Do not lie to Lord Voldemort..." Murmured his opposite and Lyra looked up to her father when he said that, then to Draco, who gulped again and it seemed like he started to shudder.  
"Did you think I would let my daughter date a spineless snob such as you, Draco?"  
"My Lord!" Draco gasped, his eyes were widened again. "I did not- I mean, I made no attempts, I-" He then glanced to the side, realizing what he was just called.  
"But father...Draco is not spineless, is he? He's a loyal Death Eater. He even killed Dumbledore upon your very-"  
"If I have to tell you to be quiet one more time, Lyra, I will make sure to keep you silent for a while."  
Lyra said no more.

"Spineless. Like your father." Sneered Lord Voldemort suddenly as he got up and circled around Draco's armchair dangerously before he sat back down on his own. "Always choosing the easiest way to get around certain things. Tsk...a shame you were chosen to be in the house of Slytherin. I see nothing of my ancestor's tradition in you, boy. Striving for the best did not mean striving for the better people to make you shine."

"My Lord...it's not like that, really, I-"

"Are you saying that I am mistaking, Draco?"

"No, it's just...I..." Draco tried to find words but he couldn't. His eyes flickered over to Lyra helplessly.

"Let him prove to you that he's not spineless!" Lyra suddenly chirped before she could stop herself and already ducked when her father whirled around, however, did nothing. He looked at his daughter and back to Draco, nodding. "You know, my child...I thought the same the second Draco opened this door." He grinned and Draco inhaled deeply but he, sensing his chance, nodded with determination glowing in his eyes. "I would like to prove myself to you, my Lord. Prove that I am not spineless."  
"Hnmhm." Chuckled Lord Voldemort, pulling Lyra closer to him by her shoulder, rubbing it up and down, causing the girl to explode in goosebumps while her father said.  
"Then...I am certain that you would not withdraw from the chance of accompanying my daughter for her mission, would you?"  
"Go with her?" Draco asked with eyes wide open, fearing there was a catch to that prospect. "I would, of course, be the best help that I can be." Added the blonde and Lord Voldemort only grinned. "Good...now then. We should talk about the details, should we not?"  
And together they talked about the plan and mission to catch Potter. Lyra, feeling more excited than before, smiled brightly when Draco got up and left the room to get ready. As the door closed, she looked to her father with eyes shining in joy but the joy vanished on an instant when she crashed down in pain upon having the Cruciatus curse directed at her; her father made sure to keep her quiet, as promised.

Lyra packed her belongings later that day. She looked around the room and sighed as she sat down on the bed. Now that she knew what she had to do, she was even more excited. Then again, sadness started to creep up to her a slight bit. The door opened and Lord Voldemort stood there, having his arms crossed. After a few seconds of thinking, he walked over to his daughter and sat down, resting his hand on her head as he faced her.

"You miss Bellatrix." He said and Lyra nodded. "Yes. A lot. And Rodolphus, too."

Lord Voldemort's lips grew sharper and thinner on hearing Rodolphus's name, however, he inhaled deeply as he declared "You shall see them before you leave." Lyra, upon hearing this, jumped up in joy and quickly sat back down when she realized she was acting foolish; she just couldn't help but be happy. "Thank you!" She cheered and suddenly wrapped her arms around her father tightly, hugging him. Lord Voldemort, clearly not expecting this, rubbed the small of her back awkwardly with one hand, not entirely sure what to do with the other. At this precise moment, Lyra looked up to him, he looked back in utmost curiosity and for the first time, Lyra was sure, did Lord Voldemort see his own reflection in her eyes.

"Baby!" Came the shrill voice from

Bellatrix as she spotted Lyra in the salon. She instantly ran up to her, kissing her all over the face and hugging her tightly to her body, despite knowing her lord was watching; she just couldn't hold it back. Lyra giggled while the kisses rained down on her face, feeling a warm hand on her shoulder. She turned around only to see Rodolphus next to her and before she knew it, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. Bellatrix looked up to them with twinkling eyes but her gaze wandered over to Lord Voldemort, who, and she was not so sure why, carried a very dangerous aura as he watched his daughter.

"Thank you my lord. For bringing her back. We couldn't be happier!"

"She will not stay."

Bellatrix's joy instantly vanished, the smile on her face disappeared. Before she could say a word, Rodolphus turned around, asking. "Why?"

"Because I say so!" Lord Voldemort thundered out, aiming his wand at Rodolphus but lowered it again when he realized Lyra was still in his arms.

"Because I'm going to take off. Finding Potter." Said Lyra gently while smiling, the excitement was clearly visible.

"All alone? The boy is accompanied by at least two of his dirty friends!" Rodolphus protested but Lyra interrupted him. "I'm not alone."

"Who's coming with you?" Asked Bellatrix.

"Draco." Answered Lyra but instead of seeing a less worried face, Bellatrix frowned widely. "Draco...?" She asked, looking over to Lord Voldemort, who just nodded, clearly amused by now.

"My Lord, Draco. I mean...He's talented but he could not protect Lyra if it came down to it, I, let me, I could go with Lyra."

"Oh I'm certain you would like to, dear Bella. But for the plan, Draco might be quite helpful. And we will see if his talent is enough. If he dies along the mission, well...one incapable Death Eater less..." He narrowed his eyes then, grinning at the thought, it seemed. Lyra did not know where her father's growing dislike for Draco came from.

"Well then. Enough small talk...come, Lyra." Said Lord Voldemort and turned around, his dark cloak flying up with in a dramatic, quick motion. Bellatrix walked over to Lyra, hugging her, sure she was going to be pulled away from the girl but she just did not want it to happen. "We haven't seen her in so long..." Murmured Bellatrix more to herself as her lips pressed against Lyra's forehead, her voice sounded cracky, it sounded like she was fighting some tears. Rodolphus looked to the ground, his hand still on Lyra's shoulder, subconsciously squeezing her there. Lyra, seeing the Lestranges this devastated and feeling just the same way, grasped some last bit of courage.

"Father, please. Can't I stay for the night? I promise I will be there on time tomorrow! I promise!" She talked faster the moment she saw her father's eyes narrowing again as he turned around, he appeared even paler than before, more dangerous, deadly, vicious. Blank and naked anger was directed at her, though muted at first, he was shaking in fury.

"E-NOUGH! COME HERE LYRA, RIGHT NOW! WHOSE DAUGHTER DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" He suddenly yelled so loud that Lyra started to cry on an instant, holding her hands to her mouth, scared he would punish her and indeed, he did. He stormed over to her, Rodolphus made attempts to protect her, Bellatrix whirled around, not knowing what to do, but Lord Voldemort had laced his hand in Lyra's hair by then, holding her still as he slapped her across the face before he finally ripped her ahead.  
And away.


	11. The Perspective

Chapter 10: The Perspective

Nobody had spoken another word for the next couple of hours, until the morning came, until the day started. Draco was sitting in the kitchen when Lyra walked downstairs. The girl glanced at him and his expressionless face, sighing.

"I did not mean to pull you into this." She said softly while pouring some tea into a cup.

"He would have wanted me to do it regardless of your appearance, I'm sure. Since I failed...my last mission. Well. Not exactly, the result was the same, Dumbledore died but if he had wanted Snape to do it, he would have told him instead. So. It's not your fault..."

"I've been hearing your mother crying all night long..." Said Lyra and finally sat down. Draco glanced at her but away again. "Me too..."

"Wait." Lord Voldemort said as he watched both Draco and Lyra standing in front of the fireplace about an hour later, on the verge of leaving. He walked closer to Lyra, glancing at Draco. "You can leave."

And Draco did, disappearing in green flames. Lord Voldemort turned his attention back to the girl, his right hand stretched out to her and cupped her cheek.

"You will succeed." He said lowly, though Lyra was sure this was a command and not an encouraging statement. She looked at him, her eyebrows were twitching slightly in discomfort so she just gently turned her face away, anger and sadness welling up. Was that truly all he wanted to say? To his daughter? Daughter that risks her own life for him? The daughter he would maybe never see again? She took one last glimpse back at him but he said no word. Lyra gave it a few more seconds but when nothing was said, she disappeared in green flames and merely shoved past Draco quietly as she arrived in an abandoned cottage located somewhere in Knockturn Alley.

"I tried cleaning up the mess here." He said softly and Lyra nodded, looking around. It wasn't as dusty as she remembered it from the last time Draco and she first entered maybe two days ago. It was quite small, probably not even half of Draco's own room's size - but held everything they needed.

"So this is where we will stay." Draco asked rhetorically and Lyra nodded again.

"Yes." She said but frowned when she noticed something. "There's only one bed." She stated but Draco glanced to the side, to the bed, then at her.

"I can take the couch." He shrugged and Lyra chuckled, turned away and opened her bag, pulling out a couple of fruits. Draco, meanwhile, walked over to a cupboard that he opened and stepped away from only to magically clean it up. Lyra put the fruits and other edible things inside and added a freezing charm to keep it cool.

"I wonder how the muggles do it." Draco commented but Lyra glanced at him, explaining.

"They're using fridges. The electricity keeps everything chilly enough. Anyway." She then walked over to the couch and sat down. "We received the information that Potter isn't at Hogwarts and Granger and Weasley tagged along with him. Father said that he believes they're looking for something but he wouldn't tell me what it is. I wonder why exactly he wants us to stay here...while Potter is on the run."

"They're just looking for safety, I bet. As if Potter would put up a fight when he knows his head is hunted all over the world." Draco sneered and crossed his arms as he sat down on the dark couch as well. Lyra shook her head.

"Don't let your dislike for him taint your judgement, Draco. I believe Potter is trying to fight my father and he is trying it with just his friends."

"How can you know that? He had always received help, never did anything on his own. He will try to get all the help he can get."

"Well, the more people help, the more he will have to take care that nothing happens to them. You said he's always acting like a hero; it only makes sense. I'm sure whatever it is that he's trying, he'll do it with as little help as possible."

Draco looked at Lyra, deeply in concentration. "Hmm...I suppose you're right."

"And we should not forget, Dumbledore has been playing a great role in Potter's life, possibly giving him valuable information. At least that's what Bellatrix told me while she always cussed about how Potter lived in Dumbledore's pocket. Next to Snape, she said." Lyra then laughed and Draco chimed in with a low chuckle, shaking his head in amusement at the thought of his aunt bickering and raging over Harry.

"She visited me at your home. In secrecy of course. You know, I wonder why she didn't simply apparate into the house."

"Because the Dark Lord used a spell to protect the manor while he resided with us. Nobody can apparate into the manor, only out. The floo-network only worked for today, too. It's locked during other times."

"Oh. Bellatrix didn't lock hers, I don't think."

"Because someone would drop dead on an instant seeing her standing in front of the fireplace with crossed arms and a devious smirk." Draco said and both Lyra and Draco laughed heartily and the imagination.

"Your aunt is something."

"I know she is." Draco chuckled again. "She really loves you." He added and Lyra smiled at the thought.

"She's the most awesome witch I have ever met. I wonder why she never...had children?"

"Well, I'm sure you noticed she isn't exactly in love with her husband."

"What do you mean?! It seemed like it, I mean. They didn't cuddle and kiss in front of me but...they were always together. And when Rodolphus got injured during Potter's getaway, she tended to him."

Draco forced a small smile, shaking his head. "Just for the record, Lyra. I've heard her talking to mother about it, how she wished she had never married Rodolphus and that she feels trapped in her own marriage. And she didn't mention it just once."

Lyra shook her head, her eyebrows constricting. "This can't be...! I don't believe it. They were like a family..."

"Ever since you are here, maybe. Perhaps, I don't know, you lit up the fire within them." He said with a faint smile and Lyra nodded, feeling a lot more at ease with that.

"Are you hungry?" Lyra asked a bit later when she heard Draco's stomach rumbling. He turned his face away, she could've sworn it glowed red before he shook his head. "No" he said and the girl just chuckled. "Okay. I will fix something for me, though."

"Well! While you're at it..." Draco said sheepishly and glanced away while Lyra just grinned and walked over to the stove, starting to boil some rice. She glanced over to the blonde who watched her curiously and fully attentive.

"Oi. Come here and be helpful, will you? Don't be so macho. I'm against standardized gender-roles."

Draco chuckled and walked up then, starting to wash and cut the vegetables she pointed to. And together they had a very nice lunch.

Later that night, Lyra felt strange. She could have sworn she saw somebody close to her, but nobody was there. When she pulled out her wand to actually reveal human presence, nothing happened. Draco, spotting her from over the couch, just mumbled something in his grogginess but rolled over and continued sleeping. The next morning, Lyra woke up feeling absolutely weird. She had a dream but couldn't remember what it was about, just that it did not feel nice.

A couple of days of collecting information passed and both Draco and Lyra had come to the conclusion that they did not have a single clue where to go from here.

"I don't know. I don't think our original plan will work..."

"Lyra, there's one thing I wonder about." Draco started. And only continued when he managed to get Lyra's attention.

"Your father sent you to this mission. And still yet, there are so many secrets he did not tell you. I mean. Don't you feel...betrayed?"

Lyra stared at him but glanced away after a short while. Draco was right and she knew he was, she thought the same over and over again.

"I know..."

"He sends you to destroy Potter but without a clue how..."

"He wants me to prove to him that I can do it. Besides, we still have time. We only started."

"But this is not a game." Draco said and crossed his arms as he stared at the girl. "This can go awfully wrong."

"Whatever." Lyra suddenly spat and walked away from him and out of the cottage, closing the door with a loud thud. She hated to hear the truth, maybe she hated it even more than her father did. Draco sighed as he just stared at the door that she closed on his face, shaking his head and muttering something under his breath that wasn't important enough to comprehend as nobody was there to listen now. It took Lyra about four hours until she returned; it was already late at night when she did. And she wished she hadn't returned at all.

"Enjoyed yourself much?" Asked a cold hissing voice when Lyra stepped into the room, frowning widely at the person she saw ahead, next to Draco who sat on the couch, staring onto his lap.

"Father..." Lyra said in surprise. "I haven't been out to amuse-"

"Lies!" He hissed and walked closer to the girl.

"Harry! Harry, wake up!" Said the clear voice of Hermione Granger as she shook Harry's shoulder. "You've been having a bad dream, haven't you? I knew it wouldn't stop. You kept talking about it again..."

"He's doing it again." Said Harry as his hand searched around for his glasses in the tent they were sleeping in. While rubbing his aching scar, his pale eyes glanced over to Ron, who was still vast asleep by the sound of it. Hermione glanced over to him with sharp lips, shook her head but looked back at Harry.

"He's beating up the girl? Do you still not know who she is?" Hermione asked and Harry shook his head.

"No. But she was with Draco at an abandoned place. I believe he's keeping her hostage and Draco is taking care that she's not escaping."

"Oh Harry..." Hermione sighed and shook her head. "We have to be more careful. I don't think that-"

"I know what scared eyes look like, Hermione. And she was terrified. All the time, whenever he attacked her."

"But you usually hear more of what he's saying, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then why not this time? Trust me Harry, this is something-"

"You don't understand." Harry growled and shook his head. "We have to meet this girl. I just know it. He tries everything to keep her from running away. Maybe she wants to help us. She knows things."

"But what if she's just another of his followers? Could be Draco's girlfriend, even."

"Draco dated Pansy." Harry said. "You heard her bragging about it."

Hermione sighed, looking at him with what Harry could distinguish as a mixture of pity and doubt.

"Look. She's not a Death Eater. She doesn't have the tattoo. And he wouldn't nearly kill a loyal follower for seemingly nothing, Hermione. He's cruel and ruthless but not idiotic."

"But maybe he sent her after you. It's likely that-"

"No. That makes no sense. Argh, you don't understand. He did not. Otherwise I would know. I always hear and see his thoughts when he's obsessing over things, when he's extremely mad, you know that. This time it's different, this means something."

"Which could be a trap, remember what he did with Sirius." Said Hermione at last but Harry just shook his head. "This is different."

"Do you really not know where she's staying?"

"No. It was a dark place, looked like an abandoned house or cottage, I don't know, I told you. But he really went mad today, Hermione. Usually I would just see her when he slaps her. And her crying, his growling. This time he did more than just that, she's bleeding like crazy. It means something, I'm telling you!"

"Lyra...wake up...are you okay?..."

Lyra opened her eyes, staring around as she raised up her torso, wincing a little at the pain and decided to lay back down, groaning quietly.

"Where is he?" She asked and Draco glanced towards the door, then back at her. "Said he will be back soon. Didn't say when. We should stay in here, he said."

"I don't know what it is that I did wrong this time..." Lyra said gently, tears welling up in her eyes as her voice got thinner, drowned in audible sadness. "Wha...what is it that makes him so angry at me all the time? I'm trying everything I can, everything..." She croaked and Draco rubbed her shoulder gently.

"It has nothing to do with you." He said. "He's like that to everyone."

"But I am his daughter" Lyra looked up into Draco's eyes. "I am his daughter..." She repeated more to herself.

"I know how you feel." Draco suddenly said and scooted closer to her when Lyra looked up curiously. "Why did you become a Death Eater?" Asked the girl.

"My father...he was like that.

Not as cruel, but the expectations were the same. Be a good pureblood. Try everything to preserve the Malfoy's name and pride. And because of...things that went awfully wrong in the past...I had to become a Death Eater, too." Draco explained and shrugged. Lyra stared at him, stared into his eyes deeply, then glared.

"You didn't want to, right? I know you don't want to be here." She suddenly spoke and Draco frowned widely.

"What makes you say that?"

"You are scared."

"Scared?! Of what?"

"That we will actually find Potter. That you will have to, for once, show who you're truly loyal to."

Draco stared at her with widened eyes and a for words-searching

opened mouth.

"You never wanted to kill Potter." Lyra said but narrowed her eyes, shaking her head at him. "But we have to. For the greater good." She murmured and leaned up to him, running her hand through his hair softly and kissing Draco's cheek suddenly. "I never wanted to do it either. But the both of us will have to go through that..." She whispered against his skin.

Draco nodded, a slight blush starting to creep up his features as he looked at Lyra's lips but only gulped and looked away when the girl chuckled and lay back down.


	12. The Past

AN: sorry for the short pause; I've been very busy! Extra long chapter :)

Chapter 11: The Past

A few more days passed. Until the days became weeks. Until the weeks became more than a month. Draco and Lyra started collecting information but still yet, nothing interesting has happened during these times. At least not as far as Potter goes, that is. They started to travel throughout the country in secrecy, camping wherever they could, occasionally apparating back into the cottage just to check if somebody left a message, but of course, nobody did, and nobody visited. Nobody at all. So they decided to stay in the cottage for today.

Lyra, currently taking a shower, felt uneasy because she realized that lately, whenever something bad was going to happen, she had a strange feeling somewhere in her stomach area, her guts were cringing at the possible appearance of her father again. He had not come to visit ever since their first day here, but the fear remained presence ever since. If he came now, and realized she was no further, made no progress within two months, Lyra was sure that he would kill her. She gained no more information he could use, and maybe that's why she had the feeling something enormously odd was going to happen. It did not feel right.

"Hey." Came Draco's voice from behind the door, causing Lyra to flinch. "The snow is getting thicker, I'm going to get us some food. Do you want something specific?"

"No, thanks." Said Lyra gently, feeling the increasing nervousness starting to take over her body. What if her father came here now and injured her more than the last time while she was all alone? When Lyra stepped out of the bathroom, she had the quick idea of following wherever Draco was going, but he was nowhere to be seen anymore. And of course she had to remind herself that her father was not so keen on letting Lyra be seen outside, it could endanger their plan of getting closer to Potter, and if anyone came to know who she was loyal to, and told Potter, everything would have been in vain. Even while they were camping, Lyra had to send Draco most of the times to scan the area, while she waited in the tent and read the Daily Prophet or listened to the radio for any kind of news.

Lyra sat down on the couch, sighing gently, not knowing what to do as she watched the snow through the milky glass. Potter. There was only one place she knew he would go to - but her father didn't allow it. He did not allow her to go there. Why, however, he had not cared to explain. What. Just what was the point in letting her go for a mission that was so obviously pointless. Maybe she would try anyway. Maybe she would. But when?

Knock. Knock.

Lyra's head swiveled to the door, her eyes were widened. It could not be Draco. Draco had a key. Did somebody see her? No. She bewitched the windows, any person who would look through the glass could only see a dusty, empty cottage. With a glimpse to her right, Lyra drew her wand quietly, breathing heavily.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

Lyra's heart started beating faster. She jumped up from the couch and moved to the side of the door, hiding, she needed to know who it was.

Click. The doorknob turned and Lyra could see the door opening, however, did not see who walked inside as the door was hiding her in the angle she stood at.

"Baby?" She heard a voice, the door closed quietly and on an instant, the person fell down to the floor with a loud yelp.

"BELLA!" Lyra screamed in joy. The witch cackled and laughed heartily as Lyra sat on top of her, kissing and snuggling the older woman.

"Please stay here forever!" Lyra squeaked and cuddled down while Bellatrix ran her hand through the girl's hair, smiling gently at the smaller figure on top of her. "How did you even find me?"

"Saw Draco at Knockturn Alley. And had him tell me where you are, of course."

"What a lucky coincidence!" squeaked Lyra cheerfully and Bellatrix nodded with a bright smile, sitting up and pulling the girl into her lap.

"I missed you, baby. I know it's not exactly Christmas Eve yet but Merry Christmas."

Lyra looked at the witch with a mixture of sadness and joy. "Merry Christmas...I hoped so much that you would come! I hoped to be able to celebrate it with you...why hadn't anyone come to visit! It's been more than a month!" Lyra almost cried but Bella shook her head and hugged the girl to herself.

"I know dear. It's been such a long time, please don't hate me." She kissed Lyra's lips with a big, fat smooching sound, repeating this when Lyra kept pursing her lips.

"Crazy times, a lot of things happened, and we're all way too busy to think about Christmas or anything, I wanted to come here but it took forever to find out where you are. Your father was in no good mood before he left and he of course didn't tell me where you are. He forbade us to go look for you, even though you're so close, we never knew where exactly you are. So it was luck I stumbled across Draco...Cissy is heartbroken, she's a mess, worrying about Draco..."

Lyra lowered her head. Bellatrix sighed as she ran her hand through the girl's hair, smirking when Lyra threw her arms around the witch again, pulling her closer with that action. Bellatrix chuckled and hugged the girl so tightly that she could barely breathe, kissing the side of her head multiple times. "Mwah! Mwah! Mwwwah!" She exclaimed, hearing how Lyra giggled as this went on for the next few minutes. After a short while, Lyra's whole face was covered with imprints of red lipstick and nothing was said for some time as both women enjoyed the warmth and each other's attention, but Bellatrix sat up with the girl on her lap and turned more serious on the next matter.

"Any improvements so far?"

Lyra sighed. "None. None at all. I don't know what to do...he was here the first day when we didn't start collecting information at all, and he came here and attacked me, he was so angry, Bella...so amazingly angry..." Lyra's voice sounded shaky, which was the reason why Bellatrix held Lyra's face in the both of her hands.

"What if he comes here now and sees that I have nothing?!"

"Shhh. He won't, dear. He's not in the country at the moment. He's busy, he's basically everywhere but not here." She smiled and Lyra sighed a little again in sadness. Did the foolish little girl expect to get a merry Christmas card from Lord Voldemort? She chuckled at the ridiculous thought and shook her head.

"Hey. I'm back." Came Draco's voice from behind; Lyra did not even notice the door opening. "Oh. Hey." Responded the girl absentmindedly as she sat on Bella's lap.

"Was Bella here alrea-oh. Hey." Draco snickered slightly when he saw the two of them cuddling, walked by and sat down a couple of things on the table. He sure brought enough for six.

"Sushi?" Lyra frowned when she looked at the stuffed rice-rolls, glancing over to the other things Draco decided to bring.

"Lobster? Fish eggs?" she asked along but Draco's mouth just gapped open and Bellatrix laughed.

"Eh! Merry Christmas I thought. Heard some people mentioning it. I suppose you...don't like these things?" He asked nervously when Lyra snickered and shrugged.

"Kind of fancy." Responded the girl. "I never ate these things before. I guess I can try."

And together they started to eat. Lyra smiled brightly, this was as close as she could get to having a nice Christmas. Bellatrix kept stroking Lyra's hair, kissing the girl's cheek as she sat behind her and even randomly fed her with a bit of sushi, cackling when Lyra snarled up her nose in disgust at the flavor. Bellatrix shook her head in amusement but after a while, she moved Lyra to the side, muttering a spell but Lyra paid all her attention to the food. She was about to mention that the vegetarian sushi rolls tasted a lot better, but before she knew it, cold metal brushed against her neck. Lyra looked down to what it was and saw a necklace with a silver pendant in the shape of a heart, three dimensional silver snakes around it, and her own name engraved in its center. The girl smiled brightly and even wiped away a tear, turned around and hugged Bellatrix as much as she could. The witch chuckled and hugged back, rubbing Lyra's shoulders gently. "Like it?"

"It's so beautiful, thank you! And I have nothing for you!" Lyra said sadly but Bella shook her head. "Not true, I have you." She said and kissed the girl's forehead again before grinning at Draco, throwing him a small package. Draco smirked as he unwrapped it, pulling out gloves that were made of black leathery dragon skin.

"Thanks auntie! That's perfect, I think I lost mine last year."

"Your Mom and Dad also got something for you but I didn't bring it. I didn't want them to know that I was here...because your mother would be here everyday, and if the Dark Lord ever visited and saw her..." She said but everyone nodded, knowing what he would do with over-motherly Narcissa interrupting the mission.

"And before it gets too hot for me..." Bella started and got up but Lyra pulled her back down. "NO! Please stay!"

"Baby, I can't. I'd love to." Bellatrix looked at Lyra with utmost pity and regret, her own bottom lip quivered when she saw Lyra's tears but she could not lose it now, it would make it so much more difficult for the girl.

"Shhh. Don't cry. I'll be back very soon. I promise, okay? You! You take care of her, hear me, Draco?" She said sternly and Draco tossed his hand up from the side of his head.

"Will do, boss."

"Good boy." She grinned but sighed when Lyra tightened the hug around the witch and cried against her chest, not wanting to let her go. Bella kept stroking through Lyra's hair silently and rested her chin on the top of the girl's head, glaring at Draco's amused face, resentfully raising her wand to force two bits of Sushi into his mouth in order to keep him occupied with chewing and coughing. Lyra cried bitterly at Bella's Goodbye, and was not to be seen for a while.

Draco, reading the Daily Prophet for a while, sighed when he glanced over to the bathroom where he had last seen Lyra disappearing into. He put the newspaper aside and stretched with a hearty yawn that ended in a startled cough as the bathroom door shot open and Lyra ran out like a bull attacked by bees.

"Draco! I've decided. I have to go there. It's Christmas Eve, it makes sense for him to be there tonight!"

"But your father forbade it, he-"

"I don't care! We have to go, don't you understand? I know how Potter works, he's there. Come."

Draco shook his head but he got up nonetheless. He knew that if Lyra decided to do something, it would have to be done. And there was no excuse. Just when they were about to disapparate, a loud CRACK caused them to turn back around.

"And where do you think you're going." Cooed none other than Lord Voldemort as his black cloak slowly lowered down from the impact of air it had flown up with, he stood there with his wand in his hand, firmly looking over to Lyra and Draco.

"Father!" Said Lyra in surprise, letting go of Draco. Draco stepped back as Lord Voldemort walked closer to his daughter, seeing her starting to shiver upon his appearance. "I asked. Where do you think. You're going." He repeated and Lyra's lips started to quiver. She was about to say something but her father narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare lie to me."

Lyra glanced over to Draco helplessly but Draco shook his head in distress, not knowing how to help her as Lyra turned back to her father.

"We...we wanted to go to...Godric's Hollow."

Lord Voldemort stared at her, eyes steadily narrowing as Lyra tried to explain. "It's been my original plan from the start, Bella and Rod thought it was good as well, and-"

But a loud BANG silenced her; the sharp pain on her cheek came a second later.

"Where. Have. You. Been." He hissed, causing Lyra to step back from him but he pulled her closer. "I HAVE BEEN COMING HERE TO FIND AN EMPTY COTTAGE IN THR PAST! HAVE I NOT TOLD YOU TO STAY HERE?!" He yelled so loud that Lyra had no choice but to hold up her hands to her face in protection as another slap would usually follow.

"But father!" Lyra started again. "That's the place he would go, you said-"

"Godric's Hollow is taken care of. YOU have not understood how Potter truly works, my child." Lord Voldemort hissed. "I have. I know what he will do. CRUCIO!"

"Argh!" Moaned Harry as he hunched down to his knees, the snow started to sicker through his pants.

"Harry!" Whispered Hermione as she looked around in the darkness, then knelt to his level. "Harry, say something, are you okay?"

"He's back again, he..." Harry growled in pain as he tried to get up. Hermione looked at him in a mixture of pity and confusion.

"He's with the girl right now, he attacked her. He's furious about something again. And I think I know where she is." He coughed. "She's being held hostage at Knockturn Alley, I've seen the name and I've also seen the building where she's at, I believe it's somewhere behind Borgin and Burke's. We should go there as soon as we can."

Hermione glanced away, her eyebrows were constricted once more. She was about to say something but she watched as Harry stood upright, brushed off the snow from his knees and stared to his parents's grave. After a long moment of silence, Hermione glanced over her shoulder, then back to Harry, informing him that somebody, an elderly woman behind, was watching them in the lonely darkness, close to a church.

"Get up!" Thundered Lord Voldemort at the girl below his feet. Lyra crawled up the couch and looked at him in fear, wiping away the blood from her bottom lip and slowly sank into her seat when he walked closer, his eyes resting on Lyra's necklace. He brushed his finger along it but said no word, his thin mouth merely curved into a grin. Lyra wiped off a tear and looked away from her father as he tilted her chin up to observe her face, but she was too scared to look into his eyes. He was about to say something when his attention was suddenly forced elsewhere, he looked around, eyes widened in delight and insane joy, and all that Lyra could hear was "hold him back, I will be there!" in parsel before he disappeared. Both Draco and Lyra looked at each other in confusion but Lyra just sniffled heart breaking tears as she rested her forehead against her pulled up knees while Draco rubbed her shoulder gently.

Time passed, Lyra stopped counting the days. She had lost all her hope to ever make her father proud and could not shake off the feeling of being betrayed or cheated on, as Draco said, there was something her father knew that he did not tell her. In the past, he kept encouraging her to bring him the boy, but how could she when he was infuriated whenever she tried to. "You haven't understood how Potter works!" He hissed at her the last time. But he too thought Potter would go to Godric's Hollow, he even said he took care of it, but he wanted her to stay here. How could she bring him the boy when she was not allowed to leave the cottage, what is it that he planned, and did not let Lyra in on?

"You never told me...how did you find out that he's your father?" Asked Draco one evening, wrapping a blanket around Lyra's shoulder as he sat down, looking at her face dyed in the orange light of the fire burning in the fireplace. The sound and scent of the wood enchanted the air.

"When my mother was found dead, there was not much left of the house we lived in. Of course I don't remember it, I was only a baby...but that's what I've been told at the orphanage. The house was burnt to ashes, but they collected what was left and put it in a box, I found it when I sneaked into the office one night. It's been old letters mostly and something like a journal, where my Mom occasionally wrote down what happened. I don't think they ever cared about the journal but I, the daughter that never knew her parents, I clung to each and every bit of information. And there was one name she put in the book, saying that she met a man called Tom Riddle, and that she had an enormous crush on him was proven by the little hearts she scribbled next to that note. And that's how I started researching on who Tom was. I asked the orphanage about him but they had never heard of his name, of course, they were muggles, how would they ever know."

Draco gasped. "You...grew up...with muggles?!" He frowned, shaking his head and Lyra nodded.

"For some years, yes. I've always known I'm different, I could speak to snakes, and when deeply angered, I could even curse somebody, and watch how their life turned more miserable as it went on..." Lyra glanced away. "And then, like most, I too received a letter, that I was a witch and that I could start magical education at Catala, Magical Institute of Sydney."

Draco smiled gently, asking. "How is school there? Do you have founder-houses as well?"

Lyra shook her head. "No. We don't. Catala is old, but not as old as Hogwarts. And it's not a castle, either. It looks like a campus, if you had ever seen a university, you'd know what I mean. It's like a normal school from the outside while on the inside, we get taught magic. We also don't have to stay at school throughout the year like you do, we have lessons everyday and then we can go back home and return the next day. Unless students, like I, had trouble returning back home because muggles have to go to school, too, and after all, nobody knew I was a witch and I never let anyone in on that secret. Because I had no parents, Catala allowed me to stay at school throughout the year, like other muggleborn students were allowed to do so, of course their parents knew and allowed it and could tell get around muggle laws whilst stating that they sent their children to a private school, Catala took care of that. So I ran away from the orphanage one night, they never found me, naturally."

"And you began research at school." Said Draco and Lyra nodded. "Mhm. I thought that maybe that's how I could find out about my parents, thought that they had to be magical. I started with my mother, Leona Dawns, and found out that my roots were in England, as she came from an English pureblood family. I continued researching on my father but I found nothing, there was no magical last name for Riddle...and I wondered if he, maybe, was a muggle, and I dropped looking for his name and concentrated on my mother. It took me years to collect all information about her, I wanted to find out about her death. But that was difficult, because the house was burnt to ashes, as I told you and...well, she of course, too. I had to accept that these things happened but it was difficult for me because she was a witch, something like fire couldn't naturally be the cause of her death...that's what I thought. But then I realized...unless a muggle suspected her to be a witch, and you know how muggles killed witches and wizards in the past, or tried." Lyra narrowed her eyes. "A dirty muggle killed her. And I swore to myself that I would find him. My first guess was Tom Riddle, maybe she told him what she was, and he burned down the house...and since I carried his name, it was obviously my father. So I picked up my research on him but I still didn't find anything. It took me years, and throughout the years, my hatred for muggles grew beyond measure, even though I tried to deny it at first, even though I tried to prove myself wrong, but I found myself agreeing to the terrifying ideals of the Dark Lord. I kept to myself, as of course he was feared, of course it was scandalous to agree with what he did."

Lyra paused, sipped on her tea, but Draco looked at her so curiously that she chuckled a little and continued. "And then." Lyra started over new. "The years passed and then...it's been in all news, he was back. The Dark Lord returned. He fascinated me so much that I started researching on him, wanting to know everything. I found out that he attended Hogwarts but that's about all I knew. For some strange reason, and I really cannot explain you how, I felt connected to him, and I wanted to know his real name. I didn't find it of course, but I stumbled across Bellatrix Lestrange, remembering the mass breakout, and when I found out that she was a former Black, I remembered from our local newspaper that Horace Slughorn picked up teaching at Hogwarts, and that he had taught the Black family for an extremely long time, and so I thought that maybe, maybe with some bit of luck, he even taught the Dark Lord, the timeline was perfect. So I wrote to him...l didn't write to Dumbledore, fearing he was way too busy to respond to something like that, fearing he would see through my plan, maybe believing I would just try to get information for an article. So I sent an owl to Horace. I introduced myself as a student from Catala, stating that we at Catala try to grow awareness of the Dark Arts, stating that he could play an important role of giving one of the finest magical institutions valuable information in order to find out what kind of signs a student shows when they're affiliated with the Dark Arts, and I told him that his name would of course remain a secret unless he wanted it to be mentioned. To be honest, I didn't expect him to write back, but he did! I guess he was enjoying the attention or something. He wrote to me that, and I thought my eyes would fall out, Tom Riddle was an extraordinary student when he was younger, told me everything about Tom and what he was like. My mind was blown." Lyra shook her head. "And that's how I found out, that's how I was sure that it wasn't the Dark Lord who killed my mother, after all, she was a pureblood. That's how I'm sure it was a different, dirty muggle who did it. And even stronger grew the urge to meet my father and help him getting rid of that filth."

Draco stared at Lyra, his mouth gapped open slightly but he chuckled and shook his head. "A fine researcher you are." He commented and Lyra giggled as the two of them munched on some roasted marshmallows and fell asleep on the couch once the fire died out. A loud crashing sound caused the both of them to shoot up, but Lyra's eyes couldn't adjust to the shrill light of three wands pointed at her.


	13. The Trio

Chapter 12: The Trio

Lyra sat up, staring at three people about her age in front of her; and she knew exactly who they were. She could not believe it. Her eyes shot over to Draco, seeing him pressed against the couch with widened eyes and unable to move or even say a word. Somebody, and Lyra did not see who, used a spell on him. Before Lyra could ask a question or say anything, the three friends snapped their hands around her arm and they twisted on the spot, distorted, and disappeared in thin air, only to reappear in something that looked a lot like an enchanted tent.

Lyra's eyes swept over to the dark haired boy, and he stared at her with an expression that the girl could not quite decipher. His eyes wandered all along her face in shocked concentration, even constricted eyebrows twitched momentarily before he suddenly bent over with a hissing sound, his hand pressed against his forehead severely as a red haired boy and a brown haired girl rushed towards their friend, trying to help him.

"Ron, quick!" She yelped. "Harry...!"

"Ngh..." He growled, looking up to Lyra again. Lyra looked back curiously, no, even innocently.

"So it's you..." She stammered out and walked a few steps backwards. The brown haired girl looked up to her, wanting to say something, but was cut off by her friend.

"Quit it, Hermione. You." He looked at Lyra. "You were held captive by him. Ngh. I know it." He coughed a little, sitting upright.

"And Draco helped." He added with an exhausted tone. Hermione glanced at him, wanting to say something yet again but Ron cut her off.

"He did a lousy job, didn't he? Was to be expected." He sighed, not exactly receiving an answer back as everyone stared at the bewildered Lyra.

"Who are you." Asked Hermione firmly, and Lyra's eyes glanced over to her. There was that spark of tension for the split of a second, a spark that was barely noticeable, but it was there, just between the two.

"My name..." Chuckled Lyra, looking away with a lowered head. "Why do names matter..." She mumbled, playing with the hem of her lacy nightgown that Ron eyed up and down with the least obvious curiosity he could muster.

"Why did he force you to stay in that cottage?" Harry asked. Lyra looked up at him with eyes of a broken girl, while then again, Lyra was amazed, for how could Harry Potter know? And suddenly, some thoughts came to her. Did her father want this to happen? Did he know the boy would find her?

"Why, you wonder?" She asked softly, shaking her head. "You wouldn't understand..." She whispered, her voice sounding shaky and wobbly, as if she was carrying her vocal chords on raw eggs. This was the moment, improvising had caused its first victim, and Lyra looked up to Harry, her eyes glistening in delight, though to him it was fear.

"Do you not have an idea why, Harry Potter?" She asked softly. Hermione, possibly smelling too much of a chance for Lyra, wanted to interrupt, but Harry held up his hand to silence her, it seemed like they had plenty of discussions about this earlier.

"I have no idea who you are." Said Harry.

Lyra chuckled. "Lies..." She murmured, and Ron's brows raised, he searched for Hermione's eyes and they met for the split of a second before they directed them towards Harry, who still stared ahead in concentration.

"Lies...?" Asked Harry almost rhetorically, he had heard this kind of way of telling him before, he had felt the same, he had seen this pale face, just different, the dark hair, he had seen the same eyes before, indeed, yes, he would have had to be blind in order to not notice, after all, who from those he trusted, aside from Albus Dumbledore, knew the young handsome Tom Riddle's face as much as he did? But was she, could she be?

"I know you know who I am." Said Lyra, looking at Harry. "You above all would notice how much I look like him."

"Harry..." Said Hermione with a frown. "What is she talking about?" She asked him, warily glancing over to the girl. "Who is she?"

"Lyra Riddle." Said Lyra, sitting down on the ground. There was no point hiding it, not to her. Ron frowned widely, Hermione gasped, but Harry said and did nothing, he just stared while his eyes swept over to Lyra's arms and she chuckled, showing him her flawless skin. So this is why she was not allowed the dark mark.

"No tattoo." She said.

"Wai-wai-wait!" Frowned Ron. "Are you saying that THIS is...is HIS daughter?!" He yelped at Harry, his voice doing a quirky looping sound. Hermione's eyes just stared at Lyra in a shocked way; she shook her head, not believing it.

"Harry! You never told us, sure you must have noticed they resembled each other!" But Harry said nothing. The three of them stared at the girl.

"Do you think...after everything he has done to me...I would be on his side? If it's true. If you have seen my father, and seen the way he treated me..." Lyra shook her head, not continuing the sentence.

"How can we know that you're trustworthy?!" Growled Ron, and Lyra shot her eyes towards him.

"I did not ask you to kidnap me, did I?" She asked bitterly, straightening her back. "There is a plan as to why you did. The question, Ronald Weasley, should be, how can I know that YOU three are trustworthy?" Lyra looked away.

Hermione and Harry stared at each other; they had a nonverbal conversation while Ron still frowned at the girl, not knowing what to say or do.

"Lyra." Started Hermione. "So you...Truly are his daughter, how? How can we be sure...?" She asked, but Lyra chuckled.

"Why do you think his scar hurt, girl?"

"I do have my own theory as to why that was the case." Said Hermione promptly, glancing at Harry, then back towards Lyra, but the latter tried her best not to glare.

"Talk to me in Parsel." Said Harry suddenly. Lyra frowned, glancing at him in utmost interest.

"So you speak the language, too?" Asked Lyra while Harry nodded. Ron and Hermione glanced at each other with bewildered expressions - none of them understood a single word of what Lyra and Harry were talking about.

"This, and her strong resemblance of him is proof enough, Hermione. There is no mistaking." Said Harry to Hermione before turning his head towards Lyra again. "What's more important is...why did nobody know of you?" Harry asked.

"How, I doubt even he knew of me. He had no time for something like a child." Lyra chuckled bitterly. "He probably tried to hide the fact that I existed. And I was driven by questions myself...He told me that he needed me..." Lyra looked away, biting her bottom lip.

"Go on" said Harry. But Lyra did not. Her eyes wandered up to the trio, she swallowed, wanting to go on, but she still couldn't.

"Please, Lyra. It's important." Hermione said. After a fair while, they've heard Lyra's voice again.

"He manipulated me...told me I played an important role in capturing you, Harry. The idea was quite tempting at first...I must confess, I longed for his attention. But the more I got to know him, personally, and the more I had to realize I was nothing but a weapon, I tried to push it away. He placed me into the cottage, attacking me. And that's when, I believe, you could see him attacking me, is that true?"

Harry nodded.

"I was scared of his anger...and he did not want me to run. He put Draco with me. For someday he knew you would come. And Draco had the tattoo, he could call him anytime." Lyra bit her bottom lip. "I..." She whimpered. "I...had a lot of time to think. I did not know what to do, the magic did not work in that cottage, only Draco could do it, it was like my magic was restricted, I could not leave, all I could do was to wait and lure you to us...I feel like it's all my fault, I...I...I'm so sorry..." Lyra exclaimed, her voice was shaky, she fought the tears.

"But why...did he never give you the Dark Mark?" Asked Hermione.

"The Dark Mark is only given to his most loyal Death Eaters. He wanted me to prove it to him that I was worth it." She explained, then added. "I understand if you do not trust me. You don't have to. It's...after all...my foolishness that brought me here, the foolishness of a girl believing she could change her father. It was a harsh awakening. But like so many, I was blinded by hope."

"How old are you?" Asked Ron. "I still can't believe it...he, I mean, how could he ever have Se-"

"I turned eighteen on January first." Said Lyra, pulling up her knees. She rested her chin on them, inhaling deeply. Harry, Ron and Hermione all glanced at each other.

"This changes the case, mate. We have to tell her." Murmured Ron, but Hermione shook her head vigorously.

"No. Absolutely not, Ronald! Dumbledore forbade it, we can't, and aside from that, what if she too, what if. No. We can't." Said Hermione at last, frowning at Harry, who did not yet comment.

"Then what are we supposed to do with her? We can't let her go back, to wherever, hey, where are you even from?" Asked Ron.

"Australia." Said Lyra, though she frowned and glared at Ron. "I am not going back there. It seems, to me, that we have the same goal. I want to destroy him. And so do you. You can let me go, and try whatever you were doing on your own. While I do the same."

Hermione bit her bottom lip; she was clearly struggling with herself. They had Lord Voldemort's daughter here, it was as much of a blessing as it was a curse. Lyra could hold valuable information on her father and how to destroy him, she lived with him and he trusted her enough to catch Harry, which, and Hermione knew it, was a great and honorable task in the eyes of a Death Eater. Lyra seemed okay, she did not have the Dark Mark and made no obvious attempts to attack. While Hermione knew that it was three against one, she was aware of the fact that she was a part of Lord Voldemort's DNA, and anything from his blood could not be weak, no. Lyra surely knew spells of such power that the trio could not dream up. What if, and it seemed too likely, she was manipulating them, like Harry told that Tom Riddle, as a teenager and young adult, was charmingly persuasive? Lyra could possibly send messages to Lord Voldemort, could tell him everything they knew of his secret, give him an update on their current mission, where they would go and why. It was too risky. Too risky to send her away, but too risky to keep her. Lyra had to prove it, prove her sincerity. And there was only one way of doing it. They had to keep an eye on her, and be careful. Very careful.

"No, please!" Said Hermione when Lyra got up and wanted to walk out of the tent. She turned around to the three of them, who had gotten up by the same point as Hermione did.

"Stay with us." Said Hermione.

"Why? I am a burden for you three. You didn't tell me anything, so it's okay. If you fear that I will go back to him now, well, what information did I gain from you? That I met you in an enchanted tent somewhere in the woods? No. I'll...find a place somewhere and try my best to find out how to destroy him. Like you do." Said Lyra, on the verge of leaving again but Harry was the one to call her back this time.

"Is there...something you know. Something that could contribute to what we know...?" He asked, but shook his head, knowing Lyra would not know how to answer this question. She looked at him in a puzzled way, raising an eyebrow.

"Look. We are..." He glanced at Hermione but Hermione sighed, looking away from him, not wanting to decide what was right or wrong this time, she didn't know.

"We are...looking for something that you could help us find." Harry said. "You are his daughter. You would know what...I'm talking about, do you not?" Asked Harry, but Lyra just stared at him.

"You're not honest with me, Harry Potter." Said Lyra nonchalantly. Hermione and Ron glanced at her in concentration.

"Not honest...?" Asked Harry.

Lyra nodded. "Yes. Not honest. Why would you try to help one of his victims? If you see him angered all the time, you see him killing people all the time."

"No." Said Harry, shaking his head. "I merely see his thoughts whenever he's obsessing over something. And the fact that Draco was with you, told me you were not someone random. That's what I wanted to find out, and I did."

"But did you not spend a single thought on the fact that he wanted you to see all of that?" Asked Lyra. Hermione couldn't help but nod in agreement, pointing at Lyra with the flat of her hand in a 'see, that's what I said' kind of manner.

"I have." Said Harry. "Turned out it's true. He wanted me to see it. To come to you. He had placed Draco with you because he has got the Dark Mark. He wanted Draco to call him as soon as I arrive. Hermione, Ron, and I have discussed this."

"And while you discussed." Started Lyra with an almost amused tone. "You happened to forget to mention that you knew who I was?" She ended rhetorically. Harry, again, said nothing, especially not while Ron and Hermione's firm eyes rested on their friend.

"I would've never agreed to this, had I known." Whispered Hermione harshly to Harry as she passed by, Ron following her further into the tent

"I know." Said Harry, sighing as he turned around to look after his two friends, not seeing, no, completely unaware of the mean smirk starting to play on Lyra's lips.

Just as planned.


	14. The Attack

AN: it's been a while again, I've been super busy, but I'm not forgetting about the story, of course :) thanks for the increasing number of followers so far, I would love to read some feedback!

Chapter 13: The Attack

"Look, Lyra", said Harry a while later, "you may think this is cheeky, and you have all the right to believe so, but-"

But Lyra held out her wand to him. "Take it." She said. "You can search my body, I don't have another wand. Keep it until you trust me enough." She smiled. Harry stared at her, for a few seconds, then took her wand and handed it over to Ron, who packed it away. Hermione glanced over to the girl, their eyes met for the briefest moment, but nothing was said nor done for the rest of the evening.

"What are we going to do with her?" Asked Ron, glancing at Harry and Hermione as the three sat around the dead fire the next morning.

"I don't know." Sighed Harry, his eyes swept over to the girl that lay in the tent.

"She could've disapparated if she wanted to. Could've stolen our wands during the night. She could've told him on an instant if she wanted to." Ron added.

"I still can't believe you did not tell us that you knew she is his daughter, Harry!" Hissed Hermione. "Do you have any idea how severe this situation is? Any idea at all?! I don't think she's trustworthy."

"Maybe we need to give her a chance." Said Ron, but Hermione's sharp glare hit him hard. "I mean, what can happen, you-know-who wants to kill us anyway, nothing Lyra has to say could change that."

"It's not only that, Ronald!" Said Hermione firmly. "He does not yet know what we are up to! Maybe he sent her after us to tell him."

"Fine, then we will just send her away again." Said Ron with a shrug.

"We can't." Said Harry. "Yes, she is his daughter, but she may know where he hid the others. We need to give her a chance, Hermione. She may not be like him at all. Who are we to judge people upon their heritage? Are we just like him?"

Hermione frowned. This argument seemed to be efficient enough to shut her up, Harry could tell because she looked at him like a fish before she lowered her head. "Fine! Fine, fine, fine." She grumbled, then got up from the tree stump and walked into the tent. Ron's eyes followed her, but he glanced at Harry, inhaling deeply.

"I think it was a good choice, mate. I just can't tell her that, you know we just got on good terms lately, and after the whole incident with the necklace, and me being gone...it's best if I don't rub her the wrong way."

"Yeah." Sighed Harry. "She's still fuming, isn't she."

"Wonder when she'll finally forgive me." Ron said, but a small grin creeped up his lips before he dismissed it and got up as well.

Harry still sat outside for a while, glancing at the fire dancing in the wind. Did he make the right choice? What would Dumbledore say? Would he have thought Harry to be reckless, would he see it the way Hermione saw it? Or would he, and Harry did well to believe this was true, try to give Lyra a chance? Yes, probably. But that was as bad as it was good. Dumbledore always tried to see the best in people. Maybe, in the end, that is exactly what killed him. Did he not die because he trusted Severus Snape, thought him to be on the good side, whereas he always worked for the dark? Harry's mind could not tell him the truth. So all that was left was listening to his heart.

And his heart told him that Lyra Riddle deserved a chance.

When Lyra woke up, she looked around a little hastily, glancing to the left and right.

"You okay?" Asked Ron. Lyra glanced up to him, nodding. "Just a bad dream." She said softly and rested back again. Harry walked over to her, bending down to her level.

"Do you know where your father is at the moment?" He asked. Hermione glanced over to them when this question erupted.

"No." Said Lyra. "He never told me where he goes. I merely know that he is not in the country at the moment. Of course that can change within seconds." She said. Harry nodded with a low smile. "Yeah, we know that much."

Time passed. Lyra was not so sure what exactly she was supposed to do. They were traveling around, Lyra followed everywhere while they were obviously looking for something. It was enormously cold tonight, Lyra sat cuddled down in a blanket and s cup of tea in her hands while Harry and Ron talked to each other about something - when suddenly, Hermione walked back inside the tent.

"We need to see Mr. Lovegood." She said, putting down a copy of Beedle the Bard. Lyra glanced at it, raising her eyebrow.

"Why?" Asked Ron.

"The sign." Said Hermione, pointing to a triangle with a circle and line. "It appears everywhere, and you said you've seen Mr. Lovegood wearing it, did you not, Harry?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. But he could think it's something completely different than what it actually is, it-"

"It is the symbol of the Deathly Hallows." Said Lyra suddenly, almost in a bored tone.

"The what?" Asked the trio at once, all sitting down to Lyra's level.

"It is the symbol of the Deathly Hallows." Lyra repeated. "You all know the story of the three brothers."

"Yes." Said Hermione and Ron in unison, just Harry shook his head, then frowned at everyone. Hermione began to quickly explain the tale to Harry.

"So" Harry summed up. "It is about three brothers facing death, and because they tricked him, all of them were presented with a unique magical present."

Lyra nodded. "Long story cut short, one could say so, yes. But those are the three Deathly Hallows. The cloak of invisibility." Said Lyra, tracing her fingertip along the triangle on the book.

"One." Said Harry.

"The resurrection stone." Continued Lyra, tracing her index finger around the circle.

"Two." Said Harry.

"The Elder wand." Finished Lyra, tracing her index finger around along the line.

"Three." Said Harry. "And those are the three Deathly Hallows?" He asked. Lyra nodded. "Yes. It is not quite sure if any of these objects do indeed exist."

Hermione, Harry and Ron exchanged gazes, and Lyra raised an eyebrow.

"So you know at least one exists." Concluded Lyra. Ron sighed a little at that and Hermione glanced away. To their surprise, Harry nodded.

"I would not waste energy finding the others." Said Lyra wisely.

"Neither would I." Said Harry. "But somebody else might..."

"You think my father is after the Deathly Hallows?" Asked Lyra. Harry shook his head. "Not all of them. Just after one."

Lyra looked up to him, but said nothing.

"The Elder wand." Said Harry. "Somebody like your father, ever seeking power and destructive forces. He's been trying to decipher the unique meaning of our wands, my wand and his wand reacted to each other-"

Hermione clicked her tongue.

"Reacted to each other", repeated Harry firmly and obviously agitated, "and trying to find the Elder wand must be his ideal goal."

Lyra could see Hermione and Ron shaking their heads.

"I believe you're absolutely right about that." Sighed Lyra, causing Ron and Hermione to frown.

"But. Why do you not confront him as long as he does not have the wand?" Asked Lyra. Hermione frowned when she asked this. Ron glanced over to Harry at that, then to the girl.

"Because it makes absolutely no sense to do that now." Said Ron. "Not while there's still-"

"Ron!" Hissed Hermione, and Ron shut up on an instant.

"Still what." Said Lyra. "Leave me in on your stuff or let me go." Glared Lyra and crossed her arms. Hermione sighed and Ron shrugged at Harry.

"Do you know...what a Horcrux is." Asked Harry.

"No." Said Lyra and sat down. Hermione tried to catch Harry's eyes but he did his best to avoid looking to her direction now.

"A Horcrux is a dark magical storage of a persons soul. A container."

"But how does somebody create a Horcrux?" Asked Lyra. Harry looked into her eyes, feeling reminded of Tom Riddle when he asked Slughorn something similar, in a similar way.

"Through the act of murder. It tears the soul apart, the part of the soul can be sealed into any kind of object. Your father has created six of them in order to become immortal."

Lyra frowned immensely at that. Her eyes were just widened, she looked at Harry with a bewildered expression, and Harry could not shake off the feeling that something in Lyra clicked, made sense, something he said must be the final piece of a puzzle to her. Lyra bent over, a hand ran through her hair. Her eyes glanced over to Hermione and Ron, who both looked at her before she glanced to Harry again, almost helplessly.

"What's wrong?" Asked Harry. "What do you know?"

Lyra said nothing. She stared into the distance with empty and clouded eyes, eyebrows contorted, her lips parted.

"Lyra?" Asked Harry again.

"How many have you destroyed already?" Asked Lyra suddenly.

"Three out of six." Said Harry. "Gaunt's ring, Tom's diary, and Slytherin's locket. All of the objects are meaningful to him, Lyra. Do you know of any other object, could you think of one...that is meaningful enough for him to store a part of his soul inside?"

Lyra looked at him, still as if she had seen a ghost. "...Can his soul be stored...in-into living creatures, too?"

"We don't know that for sure, yet. But it makes no sense for him to store a part of his soul into something that can die."

"But the snake..." Said Ron.

"Yes, Dumbledore said so, but it was just theory, we can't be sure. It might or might not be the snake. Lyra, do you have any idea what other object it could be?"

Lyra looked away, not saying anything for a while. She stared into the fire, the light reflected in her eyes as she was buried deeply in thoughts.

"...Lyra...?" Asked Harry. Lyra looked up to him, then shook her head. "I have no idea." She said, but Harry had the strange feeling that she was not too honest at the moment.

"Lyra." Said Harry again. "If you want to fight Voldemort as much as-"

"Harry!" Ron yelled. "Don't say his name!"

"I am not afraid of his name!"

"You don't understand, mate! You don't understand - his name is jinxed,we mustn't-"

Lyra frowned when suddenly there were more noises; the sounds of cracking twigs was audible.

"Whoever is in there. You have three seconds to surrender." Said a voice from outside. "We have a dozen wands pointed at this tent. Don't make us come in to get you."

Harry instantly looked to Lyra, his eyes widened, Hermione almost cried, Ron hugged her - none of them knew what to do.

"Please..." Whispered Harry. Lyra stretched out her hand. "Leave it to me. Give me my wand."

"ONE!"

Harry looked at her, not completely sure if that was the right choice or not, but he nodded at Ron at last.

"TWO!"

Ron quickly handed Lyra over her wand, and she instantly walked out of the tent. Ron and Harry scurried over to Hermione in the back of the tent.

"We need to disapparate!" Whispered Ron but Hermione shook her head. "We can't, it would take me time to loosen the protection charms I put around us, nobody can apparate in or out, the taboo is an exception, the name's jinx is something else, it's- listen!" She whispered to them and the three listened to the conversation outside.

"Ohhh, who do we have here?" Grinned a man that Lyra saw once before.

"Daddy's little girl." He added with an amused tone.

"Evening, Fenrir." Said Lyra, crossing her arms.

"Now why would you say daddy's name just for fun? Talking to yourself? I doubt it." Smirked Fenrir, chuckling.

"No. That was intentional." Said Lyra, glaring at the werewolf. "Just wanted to see if at least you are doing your job right and come here when somebody says his name. Congrats...while the others can't find Potter, at least you're reliable. I'll let my father know. Now if you may excuse me."

Fenrir chuckled. "Now, now. Not so quick. My last update was that Potter and his friends kidnapped you. Is there somebody else not doing their job right?"

Lyra glared. "Fine. Yes, I let them slip, okay? I'm after them. Be quiet about that to my father. He will be furious."

"Nawhhh." Fenrir chuckled. "Daddy won't like to hear that."

"Don't you dare say a word to him!" Lyra hissed, but Fenrir held up his hands, chuckling. "Fine, fine. I'll be all quiet, princess."

"Thank you." Said Lyra and turned around.

"Is that all I'm getting tonight?" Fenrir asked with a smirk. Lyra raised an eyebrow, turning back to the werewolf, glancing at the group of males behind Fenrir that wolf whistled a little.

"Pardon?" Asked Lyra coldly, and the whistling died out at once.

"Ah, come on, girl", laughed Fenrir, "not even a kiss?"

"If you don't watch what you say, the only kiss you will be getting is that of a Dementor, Greyback." Said Lyra threateningly, raising her wand symbolically. Fenrir's eyes just widened a tad.

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm just joking a little. I would never touch the Dark Lord's daughter, oh, he would-"

"If you be kind and leave now...who knows. Maybe my father will present you with a real tattoo one of these days, if I tell him how ambitious you are. And then you can call yourself a true and honorable Death Eater. Does that sound good?" She smirked; Fenrir stretched up his back and chuckled.

"Alright, milady." He bowed. "This clearly sounds like a deal." He nodded, however, his eyes flickered up to her. "But tell me, are you truly alone in that tent?"

"What I do at night is none of your business." Smirked Lyra, winking at Fenrir, who just roared in laughter.

"Oh yes, the quiet ones are the naughtiest, hmm? Anyway. I doubt the Dark Lord's daughter would mess with any traitors. Mhh...too bad I'm not your type. Well then. Enjoy your night, Miss Riddle." Said Fenrir with another bow, then stepped backwards thrice before he dared turning his back on the girl. The lot disapparated on an instant, and Lyra sighed softly before she walked into the tent where Harry, Ron and Hermione stood together.

"Brilliant!" Exclaimed Ron. Hermione nodded and sat down while Harry smiled faintly at Lyra. "Thank you." He said.

"Look. I believe I can get more information. Now that I know what we are looking for, I can imagine where he would store at least one." Said Lyra.

"Where?" Asked Harry.

"The Lestranges are his most loyal followers. I am almost one hundred percent sure that he would entrust them a part of his soul. He entrusted me to them for some time, after all. I could search their home without a problem, they love me. And trust me."

Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at the girl, then exchanged gazes before looking at her again. Harry inhaled deeply, but nodded.

"Fine." Harry said. "You need to bring it here then. We have to destroy it here." He said, glancing over to a sword that Lyra spotted at as well.

"Remember it must be something meaningful. Don't go looking for something that has absolutely no meaning to him. I suspect it could be something having to do with Hogwarts. Something notable."

"Alright." Said Lyra, then frowned at Harry. "Where are we going to meet?" She asked.

"Hm..." Harry glanced to Ron, but Hermione then promptly said "you will meet me here."

Lyra chuckled a bit. It was so obvious that they did not trust her yet.

"Fine." Lyra shrugged. "I will be back by tomorrow." She declared, then dusted herself off before she straightened her back again. The trio nodded at the girl, watching how she disapparated into thin air.

Lyra inhaled deeply, narrowing her eyes as she stood in front the entrance of Lestrange manor. She stared at it for a fair while, then marched inside.

"Kreacher?" Asked Lyra when she stumbled across the shocked elf.

"Miss Riddle!" The elf squeaked in joy. "It's so good to see Miss Riddle! Oh everybody's so worried about you!"

"Where is Bella, where is Rod?" Asked Lyra hastily.

"Both Mistress and Master Lestrange are not at home, Miss, they are with the Malfoys at the moment. Shall Kreacher get them here?"

"Do you have an idea where my father is?!"

"N-No, Miss Riddle!" Kreacher yelped when Lyra growled angrily, then disapparated to Malfoy Manor, where she quickly hurried inside, bursting through the door of the salon.

"Baby!"

"Lyra?!"

The voices rushed. Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy glanced over to the furious Lyra, Draco jumped up from his seat,

Lyra searched for Bellatrix, who then ran up to the girl on an instant and hugged her tightly, kissing all over her face while pulling her into her arms. After a short while of fighting it, Lyra flung her arms around the witch and looked up to Bellatrix, whimpering, tears streaming down her face.

"B-Bella-"

"Oh baby! We were so worried!" Bellatrix exclaimed. Draco and Rodolphus walked up to them by now, both resting their hands on Lyra's shoulder, but Lyra shook her head and just cried against Bella's bosom.

"Bella...!" She whimpered again, trying to tell her something, but Bellatrix, completely unable to understand what was going on, just pulled the girl deeper into her arms, hugging her tightly as she dragged her away and upstairs while Lyra sobbed heart breaking tears.

"IT WAS ALL A LIE! EVERYTHING NO, LET ME GO, CALL HIM, I DON'T WANT TO-!" Lyra suddenly screamed while Bella tucked her into the bed, then gasped, but pushed Lyra back down.

"Let ME up-"

"Shhh, lay down, baby, lay down, everything will be alright, I'm here." Murmured Bella, running her hand through the girl's hair soothingly while Lyra screamed with tears.

"Shhh..."

"Listen! Oh please listen! Bella! Bella, everything was a lie!" Lyra exclaimed and hugged the witch, bursting out into tears again, but Bellatrix just kept on stroking down Lyra's hair, trying to console her, knowing it made no sense to ask Lyra what was going on while she was so upset and devastated about something. After a fair while of listening to the girls sobbing, Bellatrix realized that it had died out, and saw that Lyra fell asleep in her arms.

"Is she okay?" Asked a male voice. Bellatrix turned around to Rodolphus who leaned against the doorframe, looking over to his small little family.

"I have absolutely no idea what happened, what they've been telling her, nor what they said. She screamed everything was a lie." Said Bellatrix, rubbing Lyra's hand softly. Rodolphus bent down to Lyra's level, wiping away a silvery tear from her pale cheeks.

"She's a mess." He murmured. Bellatrix nodded, subconsciously squeezing Lyra's hand tighter. "My poor baby..." She whispered against Lyra's cheek, wiping away a tear of worry from her own face.

"Call him." Said a firm voice the next morning suddenly. Bellatrix and Rodolphus both turned around from their seats in the winter garden, Narcissa looked ahead, Lucius and Draco slowly got up in surprise.

"But my dear girl, why shall we-" started Lucius.

"Call. Him."

"Sweetheart, do you have valuable information?" Asked Rodolphus. "We-"

"CALL HIM! CALL HIM RIGHT NOW! HE HAS TO COME HERE RIGHT NOW!" Lyra yelled furiously; everyone looked at each other as though not sure if Lyra was completely sane or not.

"Baby!" Yelped Bellatrix and walked the girl back inside the salon, rubbing her shoulders. "Baby, what do you know, what did they tell you?!"

"Something I have to tell him immediately!" Lyra hissed. Bellatrix frowned, but nodded. "Okay, if it's information he has to know, okay." She inhaled deeply, then glanced over to Lucius and the rest, but wrapped her hand around her tattoo.

With a loud crashing and smashing sound, light flickering, lamps shaking, and the increasing coldness of the room, Lyra glanced into a pair of cold eyes directed at her. Lord Voldemort stood in the back of the salon, tall and dark as always, carrying an aura of utmost terror.

"My Lord." Said Bellatrix hastily. "Lyra's got information, she said."

"She does?" Asked Lord Voldemort luringly.

"She does." Responded Lyra coldly.

Loud screaming suddenly erupted from the salon, Bellatrix stumbled backwards, a flash of red light almost hit her; everybody's eyes widened, the whole manor gasped - for Lyra Riddle has just dared to direct a curse at her father.


	15. The Letter

Chapter 14: The Letter

Lord Voldemort easily deflected the attack by one casual move of his wand, causing the curse to crash against the chandelier instead. His merciless eyes stared at Lyra, but the girl was unshakably furious, her nose snarled up and she resembled more the likes of an animal than anything human. She continued firing off curses at her father that he just all too _easily_ dodged; Lyra screamed in wrath, Bellatrix tried to pull her away but Lyra sent her against the couch with a spell, glaring back to her father, who made no obvious attempts to attack - yet.

"YOU..." She growled with her chest heaving up and down. "YOU ARE THE MOST DISGUSTING PIECE OF FLESH WALKING THIS EARTH!" She yelled and her wand almost worked on its own accord, shooting sparks of purple and blue flashes towards her father that he, with a sudden movement of his arm, redirected back, causing it to hit Lyra herself.

Screaming in fury, she jumped back onto her feet, and before Lord Voldemort could say something, a significant jet of green light moved his way, but he was too fast, he stepped to the side and it crashed against the window, the glass shattered behind him and he suddenly burst out laughing gleefully.

"My own daughter wants to kill me?"

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU SO MUCH!" Lyra screamed and cried, but before she knew it, she was picked up by her father - she could only hear Bella's shrill cries before they disapparated.

"YOU AWFUL! DISGUSTING! HORRIBLE! ARGHHH! STOP LAUGHING, STOP LAUGHING!" Yelled Lyra, throwing heavy punches against her fathers chest, but the latter let her drop to the grass in the dark middle of nowhere. Lyra did not care where she was, all she wanted to do was to rip him into pieces. It was too late to deny it anymore. She was right all along - her fear came true.

"You! You killed her! YOU KILLED HER TO BE IMMORTAL! USING ME! How disgusting! How RIDICULOUS ARE YOU!" Cried Lyra, getting up from the ground but Lord Voldemort swiftly pushed her back again; causing her to drop down to her bottom where tendrils from the ground snared around the girl, keeping her in place.

"So I was right." Lord Voldemort grinned. "That's what he is after. They found out about my little secret and told you about it." He said matter-of-factly.

"WHY HER! Why...she was loyal to you!" Lyra whimpered suddenly, hot tears streamed down her face, she looked away, balling up as she shook her head and sobbed, her eyebrows twitched together in despair. "Why..." She asked again. Lord Voldemort bent down to Lyra's level, tilting her chin up with the tip of his wand, staring into her eyes deeply.

"Your mother was a foolish woman, just like you." He murmured, and Lyra's eyes widened, she managed to get a grip of her wand and pulled it out, her nose snarled up again but Lord Voldemort casually grabbed it from of her hand, the other hand grasped around her collar firmly, staring into her eyes.

"I wanted her to give birth to a child. Oh yes, sweet Lyra, that was you." He smirked.

"You- you killed her! You...used her, you used her to make me a Horcrux-"

"Oh. But did I really?" Asked Lord Voldemort, rubbing her cheek gently with a pitiful smirk. "Let me tell you the story." He said coldly and let go of Lyra so forcefully abrupt that she fell back.

"I visited Leona that night after she started to withdraw, suddenly thinking that being a Death Eater was the wrong life choice, oh your dear mother was a fool, my child, a fool...I had to teach her a lesson..."

"You raped her!"

"Nobody leaves Lord Voldemort!" He thundered out. "It was her own fault, she had to feel it. She was a troublesome woman! She provoked me too much and that will always," he suddenly pulled on Lyra's hair tightly once he bent down to her again, "lead to nothing but punishment. So...I had her, I exploited her, sweet Lyra, I ravaged her until I had her below my feet, where she was supposed to be! Over and over again, yes, until I knew she was pregnant...and then...nine months later, she gave birth to you, just hours after my own birthday, is that not interesting?" He grinned, rubbing Lyra's tears away that the girl cried bitterly.

"I visited a day or so later, had my wand ready...I wanted you to be my fifth Horcrux...but chance had it, luck maybe, not on her end, however, I found dear Leona dead, the house was on fire and you were not to be found." Lord Voldemort hissed, letting go of the girl again and Lyra fell back once more, her eyes were widened as she looked up to him with a startled expression.

"You...you did not kill her?"

"No."

"I am...not a Horcrux?"

"No."

Lyra shook her head, not understanding a thing at all anymore. "But-"

"Remember, my child. I am not here to answer your questions. And now!" He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her back up again, pressing her against a tree so hard that it knocked the breath out of Lyra.

"Because you have been some use to me...I shall forgive your little tantrum, it is because of you that I know what the boy is after...so all I have to do...is wait...until he comes to me. But." He glared. "If you ever dare use your wand on your Lord again...by all my might, I will make you regret it. Have I made myself clear?"

"Y-Yes.."

"...You will be a good girl..." He smirked, rubbing her cheek with the back of his cold hand. "And I shall tend to you now." He murmured, pressing his cold lips against Lyra's forehead for the first time - it made her skin crawl.

"Wha-what?" Yelped the girl.

"We have some time, do we not?" He chuckled, seeing Lyra's terrified expression.

"We will go back to Malfoy manor now." Said Lord Voldemort, rubbing down Lyra's hair - she shook her head in disbelief.

"Hn." He murmured once his fingertips traced along Lyra's necklace. "Dear Bellatrix must be worrying so much." And with that, they disapparated back to Malfoy Manor. Lyra looked around with widened eyes when Bellatrix immediately ran up and pulled the girl into her arms.

"My Lord, please forgive her! She came to us like this, we don't know what happened!"

"It's all sorted out, Bellatrix." Said Lord Voldemort. "Her motivation to attack me was, in the end, nothing but a quiet call for attention. She will receive all the attention now." He said with a cold, promising tone.

Lyra lowered her head, looking away from her father when he stared at her for the longest time.

"My lord..." Said Bellatrix. "Shall Rodolphus and I take Lyra back to our manor?"

"Y-yes, please let us-"

"No!" Lord Voldemort hissed at Lyra, but his eyes swept over to Rodolphus, who stood back in the drawing room with the rest of the Malfoys.

"Rodolphus never had a firm hand, Lyra needs someone who can lead her towards the right path." He murmured dangerously.

"But my lord..." Started Rodolphus. "I don't mean to disagree. You entrusted Lyra to us and we have tried our best-"

"Oh." Chuckled Lord Voldemort. "I don't doubt that Bellatrix has tried her best. But you...you were clearly too easy on my daughter. You are not her respective father, Rodolphus, I am." Said Lord Voldemort coldly before he wrapped his arm around Lyra's wrist and walked upstairs with her, much to Bellatrix's worry and dislike - she saw how Lyra pleaded with her eyes.

"In." Glared Lord Voldemort at Lyra as he stopped in front of a door. Lyra opened it up and quickly hurried into a guest room.

"Clean up. I will be back for you later." He mumbled, then disappeared. Lyra shook her head in disbelief again, she could not understand what was going on, what she was doing here. If only she could get a hold of her wand, she could disapparate back to the trio, who would surely believe that Lyra turned her back on them once they realize that Lyra won't be back.

But Lyra had her own mission anyway. She had to find out. Something was wrong about her father's version, nothing could change her mind on that. He must have killed her mother. Not telling Lyra that she was indeed a Horcrux would ensure that she remained loyal. Of course. How stupid did he think she was? This changed a lot. It wasn't a muggle who killed her mother. It was him. As much as she tried to push it away, and she thought about it for some time - Lyra was not as naive as it looked, but it made no sense. Why, after all, would he kill a devoted follower, a follower he entrusted his child with, whom he deemed worthy enough? It made no sense. But hearing of the Horcrux. That made sense. A lot. Just how could she fight him?

Lyra frowned.

He knew she could not fight him.

Hot tears streamed down her face with realization. If she wanted him to die, she had to die first.

Lyra walked into the small bathroom, thinking about everything as the water poured down her body - she wished she could just wash away everything. Everything.

Everything.

"Pssst, baby..." Whispered Bellatrix later. Lyra's eyes shot up, she looked around and saw Bellatrix cuddled in the bed next to her. The girl must've fallen asleep somewhen after taking a shower.

"Bella..." Whispered Lyra and cuddled closer to the witch. "I feel so horrible..."

"Please tell me what happened. I need to know. He just laughed at me when I asked." Said Bellatrix.

"He...he..." Lyra fought the tears. "He killed my mother, I know it, he killed her to make me a Horcrux, Bella, but he said he didn't, I know he is lying, with me being a Horcrux he makes sure that I can't fight him because- because...I will have to die if he has to die, he keeps me here so...so they can't find out what I am, he keeps me here so he can live!" Lyra cried, clinging to Bellatrix, but Bellatrix just frowned and shook her head as she pressed Lyra to herself. After a moment of progressing the shock, Bellatrix finally found some words.

"This can't be, baby...you are not a Horcrux." She said soothingly, but Lyra shook her head. "Of course I am! That's...that's why...he keeps me here-"

"Baby!...No. Your father would not turn you into a Horcrux."

"He admitted that he wanted to!" Yelped Lyra. "He said so! He said that it was his original plan, said that when he came to my mother to kill her, she was already dead and I was gone, too! But I don't believe that version. I don't believe it...it was him, I know it...I pushed it away for so long, but it was him, now I am sure!"

Bella rubbed Lyra's back, kissing her forehead. "You must feel so horrible, baby, I'm so sorry I can't take away your pain. But you have to listen to me now. Look at me. Listen to me." Bellatrix whispered. "Whatever your father did, or did not do, you are alive and he will protect you. No matter what." She said, but Lyra just paid her a sarcastic chuckle.

"Oh yes he will protect me, he has to, because his own pathetic life depends-"

"Don't you dare speak so foul of your father!" Growled Bellatrix, causing Lyra's eyes to shoot up. Bella, upon seeing the impact she left on the girl, quickly pulled her tighter. "His reasons are not always clear, I know, dear, but he cares about you. Don't you forget that."

"He doesn't..." Whimpered Lyra. "Not one bit. I...I shouldn't have come here, I should've stayed in Australia, shouldn't have-"

"No!" Hissed Bellatrix. "You are here, you're here with me, don't say that! Don't you say that!"

Lyra stared at Bellatrix for a few seconds, then sighed and cuddled against her chest, crying bitterly. "Bella..."

"I love you, baby. I love you so much. I can't lose you..." She whispered against Lyra's cheek, kissing her gently on the lips, and Lyra kissed back with a weak smile. "I love you too."

"You're so cute, do you even know?" Chuckled Bella, tucking some strands of hair behind Lyra's ear. Lyra smiled weakly again while Bella wiped away the tears.

"No more tears. They stain your beautiful face." She whispered against her cheek, then turned her head back when there was a sudden creaking sound, the door opened and Rodolphus stood there.

"Rod!" Squeaked Lyra in joy but he pressed his index finger to his lips, then walked over to the other side of the bed after locking the door.

"Hey sweetheart." He said gently and sat down, rubbing Lyra's shoulder while Bellatrix kept her pressed against her chest.

"You should not be here, Rod." Bella said distantly, but Rodolphus just raised an eyebrow at his wife.

"She means just as much to me as she means to you." He said almost coldly before kissing Lyra's cheek. "I'm sorry we could not spare you the trouble, sweetheart."

"I missed you two so much..." Said Lyra gently and Rodolphus nodded. "We missed you, too. We worried a lot. Draco was completely devastated, believing it was his fault."

"It was all planned..." Said Lyra.

"That's what the Dark Lord said, too. He, however, was furious that Draco was unable to call him when Potter arrived. That part was not planned, I suppose."

Lyra frowned. "Draco is alright though, isn't he?"

"He is now." Said Bellatrix. "But he forbade him to ever lay eyes on you again." She added. Lyra just frowned and shook her head again, she found no words.

"What will happen now?" Asked Lyra a while later. Rod and Bella exchanged gazes, but it was Rod who sighed and kissed Lyra's cheek.

"He said you will stay here from now on. Wherever he is, he wants you close."

Lyra glared. "Of course! Because I'm a Hor-"

"Quit it!" Hissed Bellatrix. "You are not!"

"What is it?" Frowned Rodolphus. "What does she think?"

"Lyra thinks she is his Horcrux." Said Bella. Rodolphus frowned.

"No, I highly doubt it, sweetheart." Murmured Rodolphus. "If you were, he would've made sure you were safe all the time. But you lived in Australia where he had no clue of you."

"Maybe that was his plan, maybe he just acted like he never knew me while in fact he knew the truth all along..." Said Lyra, but Bellatrix just sighed, patting through Lyra's hair. "Baby..." She mumbled and pressed her lips against the girl's forehead while Rodolphus kissed Lyra's cheek - and suddenly, everything seemed forgotten. Lyra closed her eyes and smiled softly while she enjoyed the fuzzy warmth that took over her body.

"There you go. She fell asleep." Said Rodolphus and chuckled as he glanced over to the door handle that pressed down, but the door was locked. Rodolphus disapparated just a split of a second before Lord Voldemort stepped into the room.

"Why was the door locked." He frowned at Bellatrix.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. Old habits. I always locked her room at home, I don't know why." She said softly and did not even see the suspicious expression on his face when he walked around the bed and looked down to Lyra.

"She's very upset, my Lord." Said Bellatrix gently, rubbing through Lyra's hair. "I worry so much about her..." She sighed. But Lord Voldemort just chuckled.

"Of course you do." He said with an amused tone that Bellatrix caught on at once, but she said no word when he sat down and watched his daughter.

"Have you heard of her doubts, dear Bella?" He asked. "She thinks she is a Horcrux." He said with a smirk. Bellatrix glanced at him, then to the girl again. "I've been telling her that this is not the case. She doesn't believe me."

"Of course she doesn't believe you." Lord Voldemort grinned, then got up from the bed. "Leave. I wish to be alone with her now."

Bellatrix looked up to him, then to Lyra, but she inhaled deeply and nodded, walking out of the room with one last glance before she closed the door and disappeared from view.

"Lyra." Said Lord Voldemort clearly. Lyra opened her eyes after a moment, her long eyelashes were glued together a little. She rubbed the sleep away.

"Father...?" She asked. "What is it?" She sat up.

"I want you to tell me what else you know." He said, but Lyra turned her head away from him. "Nothing."

"Lies..." He murmured, stroking down her hair luringly. "I'll ask you again, my child. What else do you know?"

"You already know what they're hunting."

Frowned Lyra.

"How many have they found already?" He asked.

"Including me?!" Spat Lyra in a rush.

Lord Voldemort stared at her, then suddenly leashed out and slapped her across the face - Lyra was beginning to wonder when he would pick up this habit again. She winced and rubbed her stinging skin, but kept her head turned away.

"Look at me."

Lyra turned her face to him, her nostrils flared, her lips were pressed together firmly; her hateful expression could not be redirected anymore.

"It looks like you've forgotten your place, my child. Lost your respect. Thinking you can get away with the silly tantrums of a teenager, yes, you are not ready to be treated like an adult yet, it seems. Have it your way." He murmured, then got up from the bed but Lyra just chuckled cynically.

"What do you have to take from me? I don't have a wand, I don't have a home, I don't have a goal, yes I don't even have a real life! It's all yours, isn't it?! You got nothing to strip me off of anymore!" She yelled. Lord Voldemort looked at her, calmly standing there before he merely turned around.

"You will not see Bellatrix for some time." He said and was almost out of the door. Lyra's eyes widened. She could not let this happen, she glanced to the left and right, panic grew inside her.

"Three!" She suddenly yelped. "They've found three already!"

Lord Voldemort stopped, looking over his shoulder.

"I know." He grinned, then turned back around. Lyra frowned, her eyes were as round as marbles when the door closed and locked - and she was standing in the room, all alone.

All alone.

"Kreacher." Said Lyra softly. With a popping sound, Kreacher the house elf appeared the next second.

"M-Miss Lyra, you called?"

"You need to take me out of this manor." Said Lyra gently. Kreacher looked at her with a shocked expression, but asked no further. He grabbed her hand and POP! Lyra and the elf reappeared at Lestrange manor.

"Do you know if Bellatrix or Rodolphus keep any spare wands somewhere?" Asked Lyra as they walked inside.

"Y-yes, Miss Lyra. Mistress Bellatrix likes to collect them, they're like trophies to Mistress Bellatrix."

"Perfect, I knew she would be that kind of person. Well...Then grabbing one won't hurt, will it?" Asked Lyra rhetorically, but Kreacher looked at Lyra with eyes wide open. "S-steal?!"

"Borrowing. It will stay in the family, right?" Smiled Lyra and Kreacher nodded, obviously feeling reassured. "Follow me, Miss Lyra." Said Kreacher, walking off. They entered the library and the elf pulled out a large book, but instead of containing pages of curses and sorts, it opened up to reveal a sort of box where a variety of wands was tucked in neatly. Lyra grabbed one of them and swung it against the shelf - and the books instantly lit up. Kreacher gasped and snapped - the fire disappeared at once.

"Elf magic is pretty awesome." Complimented Lyra and Kreacher bowed, his skin turned a fade pastel pink on the compliment. Lyra grabbed another wand, and this time she felt oddly warm. She knew at once that it was the right choice - she swung the wand at Kreacher, and as he screamed, the dirty stains on his rag disappeared. Lyra chuckled.

"Why would I hurt you? Kreacher, listen. I will have to go. You ought not to tell anyone that you helped me escape. Not even Bellatrix or Rodolphus, okay? You have seen nothing."

"O-h Miss Lyra, that will break Mistress Bellatrix's heart! Please be a good girl, Miss Lyra! Please stay here!"

"I can't, Kreacher. I can't." Sighed Lyra, forcing a smile. "I'm sure you can cheer them up a little."

"Kreacher will try his very best, Miss Lyra!" Sniffled the elf, rubbing his tears away with his small fist.

_"Dear Bella and Rod,_

_By the time you read this, I will be gone. I have to go where I can find out the truth. Don't worry, I will be okay as long as you are._

_Love,_

_Lyra"_


	16. The Truth

AN: first off: thanks for the feedback. 3

Chapter 15: The Truth

Lyra panted heavily as she apparated back to the tent of the Trio - but nobody was there.

"Hello?" Asked Lyra, pointing her wand ahead of her. She walked around, frowning. They should be here - and it was important to tell them that they had to-

"Expelliarmus!" Hissed Lyra, and on an instant, the wand of Hermione Granger flew away. Hermione stood there with widened eyes and a shocked expression; she was not entirely sure whether Lyra wanted to further attack or not. Lyra lowered her wand, looking at the girl.

"Are the other safe? We can't stay here." Said Lyra as Hermione hurried over to her wand.

"Yes, they're somewhere safe. I've been waiting here, I wanted to go, I thought-"

"That I am not trustworthy and turned my back on you." Lyra finished with a sarcastic smile, turning her face away. Hermione stared at her but said nothing as she watched Lyra walking out of the tent, inhaling fresh air.

"We should go-" started Hermione.

"Shh! Did you hear that?" asked Lyra, holding up her hand to signal Hermione to be quiet. Hermione looked around, shaking her head, but Lyra gasped.

"Hurry! Let's go!" She rushed and stretched out her hand, and just when Hermione was close to hold it, a light shot through the two girls, separating them from each other.

Lyra's widened when she looked into the face of no other than Fenrir Greyback.

"Good evening, princess." He chuckled and snapped - the snatchers around him ran up to Hermione and Lyra immediately, holding them firmly after taking their wands.

"Tricked me quite nice the last time, hmm?" He purred and circled around Lyra.

"Let us go." Growled Lyra dangerously. Fenrir chuckled again.

"Now, I have just received the message that Miss Riddle escaped, and daddy wasn't happy about that at all. I believe we should bring back his daughter. And with Potter in addition, that will definitely make a tattoo for me." He smirked, looking over to Hermione. "And a bite of you, girlie."

Hermione shuddered, her eyes were still wide open as she looked to Lyra, then back to Fenrir.

"Let go, Fenrir." Growled Lyra as they started to walk off.

"Nah, sweetheart. Orders from your father. I knew I should come here first if I wanted to find you, found our last meeting a tad too curious." He snickered, but his eyes fell on Hermione next.

"Well? Where are your little friends?" He asked with a grin, but Hermione looked away, not saying a word.

"Oh? You don't speak to me?" Asked Fenrir tauntingly, but there was no reaction coming form Hermione Granger, even when the snatcher holding her rustled her closer tightly, as if trying to shake an answer out of her.

"Let us go, Fenrir! That's a command!" Lyra barked.

"Shhhh. Shhhh, little princess. I can't take an order from you now...Daddy told me not to touch you, said he would kill me if I did, but he did not say anything about her." He smirked over to Hermione, winking at her. "So let me ask you again. Where are your friends?! Where is Potter!"

"I don't know where they are!" Said Hermione. "We thought it was wiser to separate, I don't know where they are now!" She stammered out.

"Right." Chuckled Fenrir, then nodded at the snatchers that instantly ran into the tent to check. Hermione looked away while Fenrir brushed Lyra's cheek with the back of his hand; she had to turn her face away upon the strong smell of blood coming from him.

"Get away from me!" She hissed; Fenrir chuckled and withdrew from her.

"You keep hissing now, but just wait until you are back. Daddy will tame you again. Too bad he did not leave that to me, I would have my own methods." He murmured, leaning closer to her as he inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. After a short while, the snatchers walked out of the tent, shaking their heads.

"Nobody in there." Said one of them.

"Fine." Murmured Fenrir. "Then I'm sure they will come to rescue their little friend at Malfoy manor." He smirked at Hermione, jumping back from Lyra who suddenly began to scream and make attempts of attacking him.

"BASTARD!"

"Whoah, whahahah. Easy, princess. Easy." He smirked and pulled her closer.

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack.

Fenrir and the snatchers appeared in front of Malfoy Manor. Lyra's heart started to beat faster, she bit her bottom lip and glanced over to the terrified Hermione.

"L-Lyra!" Yelped Bellatrix as she ran up to the gate, looking at Lyra - but Lyra turned her face away from her in both shame and fear. Bellatrix's eyes glistened with tears and she opened the gate for the snatchers to walk in, but she instantly ripped Lyra away from Fenrir.

"Get your filthy hands off of my baby you dirty werewolf!" She barked and pressed Lyra's head against her chest securely while glaring at Fenrir, watching him walking off with the snatchers and Hermione. "I hoped to find you at home when we realized that you were not here anymore, Rod found the note, why, why..." Bella pressed her lips against Lyra's forehead. "You shouldn't have done that...your father is...beyond angry, I have rarely seen him this outraged." She whispered softly, kissing Lyra's forehead many times. Lyra looked up to Bella, seeing that she had a couple of wounds on her cheek, and she gasped.

"Bella! He even punished you?"

"Your father...is irrational at times. Come..."

"I don't want to go in there!" Lyra yelped, but thinking of Hermione made her legs move.

"Please, let her go..."

"Lyra!" Bellatrix gasped. "What are you expecting of me?! What- they have brainwashed you! You ought to...you ought to remember where you belong..." She whispered and kissed Lyra's lips softly, but Lyra turned her face away bitterly. "I want him to pay for all the crimes he-"

"Be quiet!" Hissed Bellatrix, suddenly outraged. "Watch how you speak of him! Your father, Lyra!" She frowned - and the naked disappointment from Bellatrix was unbearably painful for Lyra. She bit her bottom lip in attempts not to cry.

"You don't understand me..." Lyra murmured softly.

"But I do, it's just so difficult to agree...we...will wait for your father to come back. He has been looking for you personally." Whispered Bellatrix, kissing Lyra's cheek yet again as she walked her into the manor.

"Miss Bellatrix, I put the mudblood in the cellar." Said Wormtail, earning a nod of approval from Bella while she passed by, keeping on rubbing Lyra's forearm softly while Rodolphus rushed to their direction, pulling Lyra against his firm chest but the girl ripped away from him.

"Don't be cruel to the girl!" Hissed Lyra at Wormtail, who instantly backed away upon the girl's cold voice while Rodolphus used this opportunity to press his hand on his tattoo.

"Baby." Bellatrix then frowned. "Stop it. I don't want to hear this...this sympathy for mudbloods!" She shrieked and walked her into the salon that was empty.

"I grew up believing a muggle killed my mother." Started Lyra as she leaned against the wall. "The person I thought could bring light to the dark turned out to be the murderer. If you truly thought that I would remain loyal to him after that, I cannot help you." She turned her face away. Rodolphus frowned, glancing to his wife; then back at the girl, about to say something, but Bella's shrill voice hindered him.

"No! NO! I will not let it happen!" Hissed Bellatrix, pressing Lyra against the wall suddenly as she stared into her face with crazy eyes.

"Bella!" Frowned Rodolphus.

"You are everything I have! You are mine, you are...are...what I-"

"Have always wanted." Finished a cold voice from behind suddenly. Lyra glanced over to the person who said it, only to stare into her father's face. He stood in the distance, mighty and severe as always, but a faint grin was plastered on his face, turning into a mean grimace.

"Everything I ever wanted..." Bellatrix murmured almost absentmindedly, stroking down Lyra's hair many times.

"Not loyal to me anymore, she says." Chuckled Lord Voldemort as he strolled over to Lyra. Rodolphus made attempts to walk closer to the girl, but a warning glare told him it was wiser to stay away; pulling Bellatrix along with him, despite her attempts of remaining with Lyra, he gasped, watching Lord Voldemort aiming his wand at Lyra.

"Crucio."

"ArGHH! Ron! Ron!"

"Harry! Mate, don't freak out now, don't-"

"He's got Hermione! He's got them both! He's torturing Lyra!"

"What!? Are you sure? Sure it's not a false- I know, I'll just apparate into the tent to see!" Said Ron, jumping up, but Harry pulled him back.

"No! No, he- he must've placed Death Eaters there, that's why it took Hermione so long to come here, that's where they were caught, I'm sure, Ngh..."

"Where are they! Where's Hermione?!"

"I don't know!" Groaned Harry still in pain.

"Not loyal to me, yes?" Asked Lord Voldemort again, looking down to the bleeding girl on the ground. Nagini slithered around him, hissing at Bellatrix and Rodolphus who clung to each other in the corner close to Lyra; Bellatrix's quiet sobbing was the only audible noise.

"Oh, your lord can bring light to the dark, my dear child. He will tell you the truth." He smirked.

"My lord! No-no!"

"Quiet!" He hissed at the Lestranges, then paused, his eyes rested on the dark haired witch ahead of him. A loud chuckle echoed throughout the whole salon. "Why, what's wrong, dear Bellatrix? All your efforts for nothing?" He asked tauntingly.

"What is he talking about, Bella!" Screamed Lyra, her eyes widened, but she stared over to Bellatrix, who hunched down to the ground by this point, Rodolphus looked back and forth in confusion.

"You kept it a well preserved secret, did you not, Bella?" Asked Lord Voldemort, grinning when Bella broke out in hysterical tears. "Don't, my lord, why! She's mine, she should have been from the start!"

Rodolphus gasped, his eyes widened when he let go from Bellatrix out of shock and realization.

"No..." He murmured at his wife, withdrawing his hand from her back.

"No, what?!" Growled Bellatrix suddenly, shooting up to Rodolphus, her eyes swollen and red.

"She! She should have been mine! Mine from the start! MY BABY! Leona..." She growled, screaming insanely. "Was not the right woman to raise his child! I was! I was devoted, the only woman at this time! Oh I knew she was pregnant, carrying his child! She wanted to escape, wanted to flee, wanted to raise her child well, far away from her duties, far away from HER LORD!" She shook her head. "I was there after New Year's Eve, I knew she would be in labor soon, I...even left her a choice! Promised to spare her pathetic life if she left me the child - me! The only one worth raising his blood, me! But she laughed. Leona laughed at me, said she already brought the girl somewhere safe, said I would never get her baby! But wrong she was, she is mine! Mine! MINE ONLY!" She yelled, running over to Lyra, who just stared at Bellatrix with parted lips, not quite processing what was said.

"You're my baby..." Whispered Bellatrix, pulling Lyra against her chest. "My one and only, I never gave you up, I couldn't find you! But then...you came back to me...you came here! It was bound to happen, oh the joy I felt when you introduced yourself as his daughter, I believed it at once, I had to keep you, baby..." Bellatrix shook her head. "You can't hate me, you can't, I will forbid it! You're mine..."

Lyra just stared. Her bottom lip twitched, eyes moved to the left and right, she helplessly glanced over to Rodolphus, who had his mouth gapped open, then her eyes sought those of her father, but his grimace was as amused as ever. Hot tears streamed down Lyra's cheeks, cheeks that were held and caressed by Bellatrix.

"Baby! Please! Don't...don't, oh don't hate me! I love you! Remember? You remember, don't you? You love me too! You said it, you love us, we are your family, you're our girl! Please don't cry, don't..." Sobbed Bella, kneeling down to Lyra's level when the girl suddenly crashed down to her knees.

"No, no...!" Bella shook her head when Lyra tried to push her away weakly; she pulled her against her heaving chest. "No...you can't leave us, I got you back, I'll never let you go again!"

"I trusted you..." croaked Lyra for the first time, her tiny voice was full of lost hope and pain.

"You can trust us! Trust me!" Whispered Bellatrix, kissing the top of Lyra's head, but Lyra turned away. "Don't touch me..."

"Baby!" Shrieked Bellatrix, trying to see her face, but the latter turned the other way.

"Stay away from me, please...just stay- st-" tears interrupted her, "stay away..." She whispered.

Lyra did not yell, did not hiss. She pleaded.

She begged Bellatrix to stay away.


	17. The Invasion

AN: welcome back! I know the story took a nauseating turn the last chapter, it pained me to write it - but that's where I wanted to go from the start. I won't leave you hanging, though!

Chapter 16: The Invasion

Bellatrix sobbed next to Lyra, shaking her head in denial when the girl kept on pushing her away.

"Sweetheart, baby, please-"

"Lyra for you, from now on." Said Lyra firmly. She stretched out her hand and Bella knew at once what she would do; Lyra clasped around the necklace and ripped it off of her, throwing it to Bella's feet after getting up from the ground. Bellatrix gasped, her face was still, as if she turned into a statue, she was shaking, trembling, she started to pant in panic as she shot up too, suddenly pulling Lyra against her, shrieking "YOU WILL NOT LEAVE ME!"

"Let go."

"NO!"

"Bella..." Said Rodolphus walking up, pulling the woman away from the girl. "She suffered enough. It-, it's enough!" He growled when Bella tried to rip herself away from him yet again.

"She's mine, she's mine, she's mine...!" Yelped Bellatrix, shaking her head, trying to get closer to Lyra but Rodolphus had such a firm grip around his wife that at some point, Bellatrix just cried against his chest. Lyra watched her with an expressionless face, her eyes swept over to her father, who just watched, then away again.

"Baby..." Whimpered Bella. "Please don't leave me..." She cried, her face drowned in sorrow.

"Leave you?" Asked Lyra, almost absentmindedly. She chuckled.

"I would never leave you! I- I was there for you! I am! Lyra, no! No!" screamed Bellatrix when Lyra turned around; Bella tried to rip away from her husband once more, shouting and throwing punches at him, but he did not let her go. Instead, he stared down at his wife, looked into her face and just shook his head at her before his gaze wandered over to Lyra, tears glistening in his eyes - but he did not cry.

Things would never be the same again.

"Enough light for you, my child?" Lord Voldemort then asked. Lyra stared at him for the longest time, she just stared - her eyes were empty. He walked closer to her, suddenly pulling her into a firm embrace as he murmured.

"You are my daughter, not Bellatrix's, not Rodolphus's. Mine. And as such, you shall be the better person than your mother was. You do not want to end up like her, do you? You see where love ends? It destroyed your life." He murmured, pulling away from her.

Lyra looked up into his merciless eyes, but again kept quiet. Nobody said a word, until a deep chuckle filled the walls. Lyra shook her head in disbelief, chuckling again.

"You believe love destroyed my life?" She asked in a low whisper, turning her face away, not expecting an answer. She was talking more to herself.

"As my daughter is back now." Lord Voldemort said with a low growl, glancing over to the Lestranges. "I shall be going. I expect you to take care until I come back. She will not receive her wand unless she finally knows her place. And you can kill the spares in the basement."

"Y-yes, my Lord." Whimpered Bellatrix. Lord Voldemort stared at his daughter one last time before he disappeared - which caused Bellatrix to break out in loud weeping, crying incomprehensible words. Lyra could only understand something along the lines of "please baby! I love you!" And "I never meant to hurt you", next to "let me go, Rod!"

But nothing helped. The painful void in Lyra's stomach took over her whole body, it ensnared her brain, her eyes reflected the aching emptiness. She glanced over to Rodolphus, stared at him for a while and he looked back - but said nothing.

And then many things happened at once. A curse missed Lyra by an inch; she jumped out of the way, Bellatrix and Rodolphus both screamed in anger, Fenrir ran into the salon, he shouted, green light shot across everybody's heads, Lyra barely processed what was going on, barely understood that Harry Potter battled Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley dashed after Hermione Granger who ran up to Lyra with an odd looking house elf, and before anything could've been said, they disapparated. Lyra could only hear everyone's roaring of destructive wrath, but Bellatrix's voice was the shrillest of all, screaming "WE WILL MEET AGAIN, LYRA! YOU ARE MINE!"

"Is everyone okay?" Asked Hermione. The lot of them landed in the tent again, needless to say that it was a different location now.

"Oh good gracious, can't believe we survived this!" Groaned Ron and pulled Hermione closer while Harry glanced over to Lyra, who, still with a bewildered expression, managed not a word to say.

"How did you know where we were?" She then asked, looking to the three of them.

"Your father tortured you again, I've seen it, and I've heard Hermione's screams from somewhere. It's strange, l asked for help..." He paused while playing with a broken piece of a mirror in his hands. "I don't know how Dobby knew where we were, not really at least, but he apparated to us and I explained to him - and he knew exactly where we had to go. Dobby used to be the house elf of the Malfoys, he knows what the place looks like. We apparated into the cellar, telling Dobby to bring the others somewhere safe while we waited for the right moment to help you, but Fenrir and the snatchers caught us..."

Lyra exhaled deeply upon those information. "That was a tragically happy coincidence on our end, my father vanished only seconds before your appearance in the salon. I'm sorry Hermione. I should have known my father would send people after me after I...-that was foolish."

"Don't worry." Hermione said softly while still resting against Ron. "We live..." She then turned to Harry, then back to Ron, closing her eyes. There were some unsaid conversations between them that Lyra did not feel patient enough to decode. Maybe things were better this way, maybe it was bound to happen just like that. A new mission, maybe. Had Lyra ever believed her father could be the murderer? Yes. Had she ever expected Bellatrix to be? No.

No.

Harry glanced at Lyra, noticing her empty gaze and heavy expression, it was as though she was carrying something under which's weight she would collapse soon. To everyone's surprise, she looked up to them, determined.

"We will find more Horcruxes. And I am sure that Bellatrix is hiding at least one, as l said. Unfortunately I doubt that she's hiding one at home, Kreacher is way too inviting..."

"Kreacher? So that's where that bloody elf went." Ron groaned, earning a glare from Hermione.

"The Black's protected their home from being owned by anyone but a pureblood, Ronald, that is not he elf's fault, he merely went where he had to go." She grumbled. Ron sighed. "Kreacher is happy where he is."

"What exactly happened after you had left the tent?" Asked Harry. "Because something must've gone wrong. Hermione has been waiting here for a long time."

Lyra inhaled deeply. "I believe that is something I have to tell you when the time has come. For now, all our efforts should go into finding the other remaining Horcruxes. What I've been trying to say is, I believe there could be one in Bella's vault at Gringotts. She told me many times that my father trusted her...and a woman so devoted to kill a mother just to have his child..." she turned her face away when the Trio gasped. "She must have one." Finished Lyra. There was a long pause before somebody felt brave enough to break it.

"But how do we get into Gringotts?!" Frowned Ron.

"I talked to the goblin while I was locked up" said Hermione, then quickly explained when Lyra did not seem to understand. "There was a goblin who used to work at Gringotts, he is on the run too, surely he would help us, after all, he was caught as well - we saved him! He has to repay us somehow."

Harry and Ron both nodded. "Then let's talk to him. Let's apparate there." Said Lyra.

"But still, we can't just walk into Gringotts with a wanted goblin and the daughter of you-know-who!" Frowned Ron. "Everyone knows Hermione and me too, and we don't even want to begin speaking of Harry...they're all working together, we'll get caught on an instant!"

"Who said we'd be going as us?" Smirked Lyra and the Trio looked back at her with a faint and surprised grin.

"Off to Shell Cottage." Said Ron, stretching out his arm in the middle while everyone else clung to him - with the usual significant CRACK, they appeared in front of what Lyra thought the Shell Cottage to be; a beautiful small home next to the sea. It looked beautiful. If only the exasperated yelp of Hermione had not been all too misleading.

"Dobby!" She screeched, hugging a blond girl that Lyra did not see before. She walked up to them.

"We buried him..." Said another red haired man. "He had a knife in his chest."

"Bellatrix threw a knife when Dobby snapped the wand out of her hand!" Cried Hermione, shaking her head in disbelief. Lyra watched from afar, but she turned her face away. Deeply in thoughts over the coming days, she wondered what was important now. And what had her father given her, aside from constant humiliation, pain and neglection?

The truth.

He had given her the truth. Which was more then what could have been said about Bellatrix. She trusted her so much. She even went as far as killing an innocent elf out of pure rage. Feeling nauseated, Lyra bent over, not realizing that she has been crying for the past couple of minutes, the tears felt like they allowed her to breathe while then again, taking her breath. And what she said at last, Bella, she said Lyra would see her again, it sounded like a threat. She had never seen Bellatrix like this before. With some luck, her father would dispose of the witch for letting his daughter escape, yes, that would solve the problem to some extent. Lyra felt her stomach cramping up; what bitter thoughts had invaded her? Not long ago, Bellatrix meant everything to her. She loved her. And now?

"Lyra?" Asked a thin voice behind the girl. Lyra spun her head around and looked at Harry Potter.

"Yes?"

"You should come inside. It's raining." He said softly. Lyra stared into the endless seeming horizon, then nodded and walked into the cottage with Harry where she was introduced to Fleur And Bill Weasley, Mr. Ollivander, the goblin, and before she could shake hands with Luna Lovegood, Lyra abruptly turned around and walked off without another word.

"Did I do anything wrong?" Asked Luna obliviously as always, glancing at everyone.

"No, she's been insufferable since we rescued her, not even a thanks!" Frowned Ron, but Hermione pressed her elbow into Ron's chest; he rubbed it and just rolled his eyes while muttering that it was the truth.

"Well, it must've been what she said." Murmured Harry. "About Bellatrix."

"But why is that such a surprise? It only makes sense that she would try something like that, you heard how Tonks spoke about her, she tried to kill Tonks during the getaway, surely a woman like Bella wouldn't want female competition, and really, a woman pregnant..." Ron snarled his nose in sheer disgust, "with you-know-who's child! It must've been oh so dramatic for Bella, naturally she would try to kill the real mother and take his child."

"But she didn't" said Harry. "She didn't manage it.

"And l suppose she was very pleased when Lyra turned up and introduced herself", stared Hermione, "Bellatrix must've been trying to win Lyra over ever since. She was all protective of Lyra when Fenrir and the snatchers caught her. And when I was locked up, I heard the loud crying and screaming from upstairs, couldn't really understand anything, but whatever she told us before, I guess she learned the real truth today."

Ron shrugged. "It was her fault for trusting and believing you-know-who's followers. I can't feel sorry."

"Ron!" Frowned Hermione. "You have no heart at all, do you? She came all the way from Australia to find out the truth, she probably grew up that muggles killed her mother or something, or maybe she even believed it was you-know-who himself, whatever it was, she just wanted to find it out!"

Ron shrugged again. "She found out, didn't she?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "She must be feeling miserable." She sighed and glanced over to the door where she had last seen Lyra disappearing through.

Two weeks passed. Nothing changed. Mr. Ollivander and some others disappeared, Lyra did not know where to, and she did not ask. She barely talked to anyone for some time, had only answered sparingly, only eaten as much as necessary, only breathed enough to feel she was still alive. But what for? Could she win this war against him? Lyra's nostrils flared. She did not feel sadness anymore whenever she thought of her father, did not cry herself into sleep thinking of Bellatrix. It was all replaced by sheer and absolute loathing. The hatred almost hurt, she felt her body twitching occasionally upon imagining hurting Bella. Her father would be taken care of, Lyra thought while glancing at the Trio during breakfast.

"How long will it take for the polyjuice potion to be done again?" Asked Ron.

"We still have some weeks to go, Ron." Said Hermione.

"And you're sure that it was Bellatrix's hair, yes?" He asked again, looking at Lyra, but the latter said nothing.

"Lyra?" Asked Ron. "Hello?"

"Yes." She said dryly. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged looks; nobody was quite sure whether she would've said 'yes' to any other question, too.

"It's black, it's curly, - it's long" she pursed her lips when Ron made a soft chuckle before she added the latter. "And it came from Lyra's dress. It is definitely Bellatrix's hair." She murmured, rolling her eyes when Ron snickered "black and curly...hmm...who knows where it comes from, I don't fancy tha-ouch!" He grumbled when Hermione hit him with a rolled up Daily Prophet.

"You don't have to drink it anyway!" She hissed at Ron. "It'd be best if Lyra did it, she knows Bellatrix and her mannerism and-"

"There is no way I am going to become Bellatrix." Said Lyra dangerously, narrowing her eyes. "I will tell you everything you need to know. Then you can do it."

"I-okay." Said Hermione with a sigh. "I understand." She threw Ron a glare when the latter just rolled his eyes. Harry said nothing, but watched how Lyra got up and walked out of the kitchen and back upstairs, unknowing that it'd be the last glimpse of her for a very, very long time.

Lyra had her eyes narrowed, glancing at the wand she had ripped out of Fenrir's hand during the skirmish, it was the very same she had "borrowed" from Bellatrix, who won over the wand somewhen in her past, possibly killing its last owner.

How ironic, Lyra thought with narrowed eyes as she stared ahead, pulling the black cape over her head. It would be the very same wand that will turn against Bellatrix now.

AN: *gasp* oh no! What's Lyra up to?! Is she crazy? Maybe.


End file.
